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If you love mystery and intrigue your imagination will be swept away as you journey through the symbols of some of the Worlds Greatest Masterpiece Paintings. "Taking The Mystery Out Of Reading Old Master Paintings" is a crash course in art history and museum companion all wrapped up into one. It was designed for the curious art lovers who want to unlock the hidden treasures that shadow beneath the veil of their paintings. This beautifully illustrated book is filled with colored images, magical stories describing the paintings and a full symbol decoding for each Great Masterpiece.
Art History
Art History has historically been understood as the academic study of art and objects. What most people avoid to realize is that in these wonderful mysterious masterpieces hidden symbols lurk in a secretive manner. Uncovering these stories and symbols allows one to unlock hundreds if not thousands of years of mystery.
Symbolism
"The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait" (below) is one of 15th century genius Jan van Eyck's outstanding and ingenious works. This painting is consumed with exciting hidden representations and symbols. The painting works on several levels: as a portrait of two leading members of society by the foremost leading artist (van Eyck); and as a record of their marriage. A few hidden symbols in this painting are the discarded shoes, which are a symbol that signifies a religious ceremony taking place and the bare feet suggest a sign of fertility concluding that this is in fact a marriage ceremony. The orange located on the windowsill was a luxury in Northern Europe therefore suggesting the couples wealth and also the representation of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, referring to lust, which was thought to have led to Man's fall. Mankind's "sinful" instincts are sanctified through the Christian ritual of marriage therefore documenting this painting as a form of a marriage certificate. Astonishingly, these are just a few of the many secrets hidden in this great painting. This painting is deciphered in detail in the book and will will give you the answer to the paintings most notorious question, "is the enchanting bride pregnant"?
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Available in Color and Black & White
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