Nectar and Illusion - Nature in Byzantine Art and Literature (Paperback)

Nature and Illusion is the first extended treatment of the portrayal of nature in Byzantine art and literature. In this richly illustrated study, Henry Maguire shows how the Byzantines embraced terrestrial creation in the decoration of their churches during the fifth to seventh centuries but then adopted a much more cautious attitude toward the depiction of animals and plants in the middle ages, after the iconoclastic dispute of the eighth and ninth centuries. In the medieval period, the art of Byzantine churches became more anthropocentric and less accepting of natural images. The danger that the latter might be put to idolatrous use created a constant state of tension between worldliness, represented by nature, and otherworldliness, represented by the portrait icons of the saints. The book discusses the role of iconoclasm in affecting this fundamental change in Byzantine art, as both sides in the controversy accused the other of "worshipping the creature rather than the Creator." An important theme is the asymmetrical relationship between Byzantine art and literature with respect to the portrayal of nature. A series of vivid texts described seasons, landscapes, gardens, and animals, but these were more sparingly illustrated in medieval art. Maguire concludes by discussing the abstraction of nature in the form of marble floors and revetments and with a consideration of the role of architectural backgrounds in medieval Byzantine art. Throughout Nature and Illusion, medieval Byzantine art is compared with that of Western Europe, where different conceptions of religious imagery allowed a closer engagement with nature.

General

Imprint:	Oxford UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Onassis Series in Hellenic Culture
Release date:	April 2016
Authors:	Henry Maguire (Emeritus Professor of Art at Johns Hopkins University)
Dimensions:	234 x 156 x 13mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	224
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-049710-1
Categories:	Books > Arts & Architecture > History of art / art & design styles > 500 CE to 1400 > General Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Literary studies > Classical, early & medieval Books > Arts & Architecture > Art forms, treatments & subjects > Art treatments & subjects > Iconography, subjects depicted in art > Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes > General Promotions
LSN:	0-19-049710-6
Barcode:	9780190497101

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