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Angels: Celestial Spirits in Legend & Art
This beautiful volume, enhanced by full-color reproductions featuring depictions of beloved celestial intermediaries, presents some of the most stunning examples of angelic appearances in fine art. Just in time for the new millennium, Angels brings to life, in text and image, an enlightening account of these beautiful symbols of faith and hope.
- GenresArt HistoryNonfictionArt
128 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1997
173 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Carey
68 books8,483 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.
She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.
Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.
Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.
She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.
Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 10, 2009
As one highly interested in the topic of angels and their fallen counterparts, I am always looking for a good book on the subject matter. Considering Carey's other work, I'm unsurprised to find her descriptions of this subject matter as lyrical and enjoyable as her more creative works.
I'm also pleased by the high quality full color reproductions and interesting quotes throughout, which have given me plenty of sources and artists to study in other sources. Carey delves not only into the traditional representations of angels, but into the heretical tales as well, which leads to some of the more obscure legends surrounding these interesting creatures.
This is a great reference for anyone interested in the subject matter, though I wish it were just a bit longer and even more in-depth. I would suggest Gustav's A Dictionary of Angels for a more in-depth source, though it does not have the lovely illustrations that this one has!
I'm also pleased by the high quality full color reproductions and interesting quotes throughout, which have given me plenty of sources and artists to study in other sources. Carey delves not only into the traditional representations of angels, but into the heretical tales as well, which leads to some of the more obscure legends surrounding these interesting creatures.
This is a great reference for anyone interested in the subject matter, though I wish it were just a bit longer and even more in-depth. I would suggest Gustav's A Dictionary of Angels for a more in-depth source, though it does not have the lovely illustrations that this one has!
August 15, 2012
The artwork in the book is beautiful. But, of course! It's all classic depictions by great artists. I'm still curling my lip, however, that Botticelli's The Birth of Venus has a two-page spread. Why would that make me curl my lip? Because the crease goes right through the main subject of the painting.
Made me very sad.
Such a lovely collection of art, though.
I got frustrated with the quotes. Some Milton (a lot of Milton), some others. These quotes filled in small spaces here and there, but mostly they just distracted me from reading. I decided to read them all first, and then read the text. I did that; I still had to see "which quote that was" when I came to a page.
The writing isn't as good as I'd expect from Carey, and I was even gearing my expectations toward "informative" rather than "narrative." I got a little frustrated with hinted-at depths to angel stories that there just wasn't room for here. Because there just wasn't room here, I can't fault it. And it did pique my interest; I just have no idea where to go to sate the particular interests.
I enjoyed Carey's information on the fallen angels more than the unfallen ones. Mostly, though, that's because I knew far less about them, from this angle. "This angle" being from someone who's written a fantasy series with a creation myth centered around fallen angels. That was fanscinating, and that there was so little made me sigh a lot.
Again, though, can't fault Carey for that; it wasn't the kind of book that left room for digging down deep into things.
In the end, loved looking over the art, but as for the text, I'd've much preferred an unillustrated book where Carey could have on and on---only, hopefully, without so many exclamation points! It's not that there were so many. It's that each of them made me feel like I was being addressed as if I were a group if nine-year-olds.
Made me very sad.
Such a lovely collection of art, though.
I got frustrated with the quotes. Some Milton (a lot of Milton), some others. These quotes filled in small spaces here and there, but mostly they just distracted me from reading. I decided to read them all first, and then read the text. I did that; I still had to see "which quote that was" when I came to a page.
The writing isn't as good as I'd expect from Carey, and I was even gearing my expectations toward "informative" rather than "narrative." I got a little frustrated with hinted-at depths to angel stories that there just wasn't room for here. Because there just wasn't room here, I can't fault it. And it did pique my interest; I just have no idea where to go to sate the particular interests.
I enjoyed Carey's information on the fallen angels more than the unfallen ones. Mostly, though, that's because I knew far less about them, from this angle. "This angle" being from someone who's written a fantasy series with a creation myth centered around fallen angels. That was fanscinating, and that there was so little made me sigh a lot.
Again, though, can't fault Carey for that; it wasn't the kind of book that left room for digging down deep into things.
In the end, loved looking over the art, but as for the text, I'd've much preferred an unillustrated book where Carey could have on and on---only, hopefully, without so many exclamation points! It's not that there were so many. It's that each of them made me feel like I was being addressed as if I were a group if nine-year-olds.
June 3, 2019
Fascinating. You can really see the influence this research had on the Kushiel's books. Loved it, despite all the Renaissance paintings featuring baby d***. 😨😂
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews