Old Testament Figures in Art

A Guide to Imagery #15

by Chiara De Capoa, Stefano Zuffi (Editor), Thomas Michael Hartmann (Translator)

Throughout the Middle Ages, sacred Christian art had two objectives: to express veneration for God and to provide illustrative lessons on the Christian faith to a largely illiterate population. Continuing in the spirit of the other books in this series, Old Testament Figures in Art compiles entries on key figures and events in the Old Testament, beginning with the Pentateuch, then drawing from the historical books, the books of wisdom and poetry, and, finally, the prophetic books.
The vivid illustrations depict Old Testament scenes that occur most frequently as iconographic prototypes in Western art. Among the masterpieces featured are The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark by Jan Brueghel the Elder, The Sacrifice of Isaac by Rembrandt, Samson and Delilah by Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Paul Gauguin, and Isaac Receiving Rebekah as His Wife by Marc Chagall.
The accompanying texts illuminate the unique ways in which Old Testament subjects have been portrayed in Western art throughout the ages. To complement the many scriptural references, this handy volume also offers comparisons with other cultures whose stories or myths parallel those represented in the book.

Genres: Art, Art History, History, Nonfiction, Religion, Old Testament, Christianity

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Bret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great art, in great reproductions, with often repetitious and simplistic annotations. Actual example, pointing out the king in a painting with a total of 3 men and 1 woman in it: "The king is recognizable thanks to his crown and his particularly sumptuous clothing."

[Korneel Huybrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meerwaarde ✡🙌

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mom brought this back from the MET in NYC and I really enjoyed reading it, especially since I wasn't reading it for a paper or exam! Interesting for me after learning about so much of the art in all of my art classes throughout the past several semesters. It is a great reference guide for wonderful works of art that have been done all throughout history of differing depictions of old testament scenes.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only do you get to see many different styles of art about different Old Testament figures, but it is all explained well from both symbolic and Biblical points of view. I'm on the home stretch and haven't seen any of the Christian explanations be wrong yet, which is a marvel compared to some other books. HIghly recommended.