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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Narrow Way to Heaven: Identity and Identities in the Art of Middle Eastern Christianity

The Narrow Way to Heaven: Identity and Identities in the Art of Middle Eastern Christianity

Immerzeel, M.

Hardcover

Series: Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta, Book 259

Art HistoryGeneral ArtMiddle Eastern Art

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN10: 9042932287
ISBN13: 9789042932289
Publisher: Peeters
Published: Jul 31 2017
Pages: 377
Weight: 1.62
Language: English
If art mirrors identity, this is particularly the case in the ChristianMiddle East. At first glance, the imposed minority position of thevarious communities and inherent feelings of peril are the drivingforces behind the development of distinct artistic idioms, but on closerinspection this bias does not entirely do justice to the achievements ofpast generations. Churches would never have been erected and embellishedwithout the zealous support of individuals and groups who had the meansto realize such projects. This two-partite study deals with them and thetangible results of their efforts.
The first part is devoted tothe considerable Christian material heritage in Egypt, from the Arabconquest in the seventh century to the downfall of the artisticproduction around the turn of the thirteenth/fourteenth centuries.Coptic monasteries, churches and prayer rooms were decorated accordingto their final functional use and specific needs, thus expressing adistinct monastic identity. Another influential category was the wealthyelite of lay nobles, in particular high-ranking state officials in theFatimid and Ayyubid service. They not only instigated the renovation anddecoration of urban churches, but were also committed to therefurbishing of the papal churches in Old Cairo. In this matter, specific attention is devoted to the involvement of Byzantine-trainedartists in the second half of the thirteenth century. In addition, thechurches and works of art of the other communities in Egypt, inparticular the Syrian Orthodox, are highlighted. The second partdiscusses the revival of Christian art in Ottoman Egypt, Palestine, andSyria from the seventeenth century onwards. Beside the re-emergence oftraditional elements, European influences are tangible all across theboard. This was the result of the increasing contacts between Europe andthe Middle East and the successful extension of the influences of theChurch of Rome to the Ottoman realm. Finally, the epilogue is devoted tomodern oriental Christian art as a means to express the identity of thedifferent communities.

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