Experiencing Medieval Art

by Herbert L. Kessler

Experiencing Medieval Art is an extensive revision and expansion of the author’s Seeing Medieval Art, originally published in 2004. Renowned art historian Herbert L. Kessler considers often-strange objects and the materials of which they are made, circumstances of production, the conflictual relationship between art objects and notions of an ineffable deity, the context surrounding medieval art, the playfulness of art and the formal movements it engaged, as well as questions of apprehension, aesthetics, and modern presentation.

Kessler introduces the exciting discoveries and revelations that have revolutionized the understanding of medieval art and identifies the vexing challenges that still remain. Examining such well-known monuments as the stained glass in Chartres cathedral, mosaics in San Marco Venice, and Utrecht Psalter, as well as newly discovered works – including the frescoes in Rome’s "aula gotica" and a twelfth-century aquamanile in Hildesheim – Kessler makes the complex history of medieval art accessible for students of art history, teachers in the field, and scholars of medieval history, theology, and literature.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

492 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2019

Reviews

[Christina Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really great starting point for understanding medieval art, especially if you are already familiar with concepts of the Middle Ages.