Gothic: Visual Art of the Middle Ages 1140-1500

Gothic gives readers a comprehensive description of the art in the Middle Ages by presenting outstanding treasures of medieval imagery such as religious panel paintings, Madonna statues, illumination,and goldsmithing, as well as courtly culture and architecture. As the introduction points out, visual images were important because they were an effective way of communicating "specific ideas and aspirations in durable form". A castle fortress on a hill communicated one thing, a monumental cathedral in the midst of a bustling city something else. Gothic art served a purpose: religious, social, political, or perhaps all three. Based on some excellent photos by Achim Bednorz, the text by Bruno Klein brings to life the remote world of the Middle Ages, helping the reader to see and understand the life and aspirations in the times now know as the Gothic epoch.