• The only concise, general introduction to Christian Art available - providing the tools needed to decode the signs and symbols used in Christian art and architecture
• Features such well-known artists as Michelangelo, Rosetti, and Chris Ofili, as well as famous buildings, such as the Sistine Chapel, and Westminster Abbey
• A broad-ranging historical account - from the Medieval period to the present day
• Examines the development of the cult of the Virgin Mary
• Explores the ongoing fascination with the blood of Christ, and the image of the crucifixion
• Discusses the role of art in campaings for canonization, and the cult of relics

   
Christian images have a long history within the Western art tradition from the narrative and devotional works of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, to the radical new interpretations of the twenty-first century. This fascinating new book explores the changing nature of the representation of key themes and subjects found in Christian art, covering the Eucharist, the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. Other sections deal with the changes to Christian art after the sixteenth-century Reformation, and with Christian art in the modern world.
Within these themes, the book explores the work of major artists such as Memling, Holbein, El Greco and Rossetti, and well-known examples including the frescoes of St Francis at Assisi. Didactic and consciously devotional works are discussed alongside the controversial work of contemporary artists such as Andres Serrano and Chris Ofili.