The Many Faces of Christ

Portraying the Holy in the East and West, 300 to 1300

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Art History, Religious
Cover of the book The Many Faces of Christ by Michele Bacci, Reaktion Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michele Bacci ISBN: 9781780233208
Publisher: Reaktion Books Publication: March 15, 2014
Imprint: Reaktion Books Language: English
Author: Michele Bacci
ISBN: 9781780233208
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Publication: March 15, 2014
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Language: English

Thanks to current portrayals of Jesus of Nazareth, we are apt to think of him as having long hair and a short beard. But, the holy scriptures do not describe Christ’s physiognomy, and his representations are inconsistent in early Christian and medieval arts. How did this long-haired archetype come to be accepted in the late ninth century as the standard iconography of the Son of God? To answer this question, *The Many Faces of Christ *examines the complex historical and cultural dynamics underlying the making and final establishment of Christ’s image between late antiquity and the early Renaissance.
 
Taking into account a broad spectrum of iconographic and textual sources, Michele Bacci describes the process of creating Christ’s image against the backdrop of ancient and biblical conceptions of beauty and physicality as indicators of moral, ascetic, or messianic qualities. He investigates the increasingly dominant role played by visual experience in Christian religious practice, which promoted belief in the existence of ancient documents depicting Christ’s appearance, and he shows how this resulted in the shaping of portrait-like images that were said to be true to life. With glances at analogous progressions in the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Taoist traditions, this beautifully illustrated book will be of interest to specialists of Late Antique, Byzantine, and medieval studies, as well as anyone interested in the shifting, controversial conceptions of the historical figure of Jesus Christ.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Thanks to current portrayals of Jesus of Nazareth, we are apt to think of him as having long hair and a short beard. But, the holy scriptures do not describe Christ’s physiognomy, and his representations are inconsistent in early Christian and medieval arts. How did this long-haired archetype come to be accepted in the late ninth century as the standard iconography of the Son of God? To answer this question, *The Many Faces of Christ *examines the complex historical and cultural dynamics underlying the making and final establishment of Christ’s image between late antiquity and the early Renaissance.
 
Taking into account a broad spectrum of iconographic and textual sources, Michele Bacci describes the process of creating Christ’s image against the backdrop of ancient and biblical conceptions of beauty and physicality as indicators of moral, ascetic, or messianic qualities. He investigates the increasingly dominant role played by visual experience in Christian religious practice, which promoted belief in the existence of ancient documents depicting Christ’s appearance, and he shows how this resulted in the shaping of portrait-like images that were said to be true to life. With glances at analogous progressions in the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Taoist traditions, this beautifully illustrated book will be of interest to specialists of Late Antique, Byzantine, and medieval studies, as well as anyone interested in the shifting, controversial conceptions of the historical figure of Jesus Christ.

More books from Reaktion Books

Cover of the book Filming the Middle Ages by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Guinea Pig by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book A History of the Arctic by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Anatomy Museum by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Eagle by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Islands by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Spices by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Shark by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book The Joy of Sets by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Global Financial System 1750-2000 by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book The Madness of Knowledge by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Storm by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Pablo Picasso by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book War and Peace by Michele Bacci
Cover of the book Adam Smith by Michele Bacci
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy