Painting the Soul: Icons, Death Masks and Shrouds

by Robin Cormack

Painting the Soul is a beautifully illustrated study of the creation and development of the icon.

"This book is a firework display. It sets off scores of explosions which light up the sky over-arching our field, terrain that is normally traversed nose down and too mindful of the footsteps of our predecessors."— Burlington Magazine

Genres: History, Art

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Dominic Muresan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating study in the history of the icon. The author accomplishes, through the study of several iconographic subjects, a study not only of the history of the icon and the reverent practices addressed to it, but also a study in the history and mentality of the byzantines.

The book starts with the origins of the icon found in the mummy portraits or death masks from egypt and continues with analysing the Panagia Hodigitria, the icon of Christ and its problematic concept in the end, finishing with the Cretan school, post-byzantine painting and its western influences. Each discussion of iconography has, in the background, a complex presentation of the byzantine socio-political realities, realities that can be understood through and with the help of the icon.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A considerably academic and somewhat inconclusive text. Not reccomended as an introduction for the layperson, and certainly not for the theologically zealous.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Death in the mask by irishcream11