Book
How do we look? : the body, the divine, and the question of civilisation / Mary Beard.
From prehistoric Mexico to modern Istanbul, Mary Beard looks beyond the familiar canon of Western imagery to explore the history of art, religion, and humanity. Conceived as a gorgeously illustrated accompaniment to "How Do We Look" and "The Eye of Faith," the famed Civilisations shows on PBS, renowned classicist Mary Beard has created this elegant volume on how we have looked at art. Focusing in Part I on the Olmec heads of early Mesoamerica, the colossal statues of the pharaoh Amenhotep III, and the nudes of classical Greece, Beard explores the power, hierarchy, and gender politics of the art of the ancient world, and explains how it came to define the so-called civilized world. In Part II, Beard chronicles some of the most breathtaking religious imagery ever made--whether at Angkor Wat, Ravenna, Venice, or in the art of Jewish and Islamic calligraphers--to show how all religions, ancient and modern, have faced irreconcilable problems in trying to picture the divine. With this classic volume, Beard redefines the Western- and male-centric legacies of Ernst Gombrich and Kenneth Clark. Includes 92 illustrations.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781631494406
- ISBN: 1631494406
- Physical Description: 240 pages : color illustrations, portraits (chiefly color) ; 23 cm
- Edition: First American edition.
- Publisher: New York : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.
- Copyright: ©2018
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (page 211-226) and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction: A history of looking -- Part 1: The body in question -- Prologue: Heads and bodies -- A singing statue -- Greek bodies -- The look of loss: from Greece to Rome -- The Emperor of China and the power of images -- Supersizing a pharaoh -- The Greek revolution -- The stain on the thigh -- The revolution's legacy -- The Olmec wrestler -- Part 2: The eye of faith -- Prologue: Sunrise at Angkor Wat -- Who's looking? "Cave art" at Ajanta -- Who or what was Jesus? -- Questions of vanity -- A living statue? -- The artfulness of Islam -- Bible stories -- The scars of battle -- Hindu images, Islamic idioms -- Faith in civilisation -- Afterword: Looking at civilisation. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Human beings in art > History. Art and religion. |
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easton Main Library | 704.942 B368h (Text) | 31901004272938 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Abington Community Library | 704.9 BEARD (Text) | 50687011602243 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Albright Memorial Library | 704.9 BEARD (Text) | 50686015384725 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Allentown Public Library | 704.9 BEAR (Text) | 34455006484105 | Adult Nonfiction 1st FL | Available | - |
| Bernville Area Community Library | 704.942 BEA (Text) | 33249022784957 | Non-fiction | Available | - |
| Bethlehem Main Library | 704.942 (Text) | 33062009040610 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Boone Area Library | 704.942 BEA (Text) | 33249022846178 | Non-fiction | Available | - |
| Highland Community Library | 704.9 BEA (Text) | 35610000936810 | HGHM Non-Fiction | Available | - |
| Indian Valley Public Library | 704.9 Beard History (Text) | 39427103431904 | Nonfiction Room: Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Martin Library | Adults 704.9 BEA Life Times (Text) | 33454005588561 | 2nd Floor | Available | - |
