WEMSK2: Iconography

This one is on medieval art, specifically iconography, the intellectual content of medieval art.  I have, as you see, avoided talking about such things as what we Germans used sneeringly to call Faltologie, the study of the art of medieval art.

1. A good and not expensive first introduction is offered by:
Adolphe Napoleon Didron, Christian Iconography, transl. from
French by J. Millington (NY: Ungar, 1965). Reprint of first ed.,
1851-1886, note the additions by Margaret Stokes: translation of
the Biblia pauperum and of the Byzantine Painter's Manual.

2. For a one-time run-through: George Ferguson, Signs and Symbols in
Christian Art (NY: Oxford UP, nd).  This is also available in paperback,
but get the old hardback if you can.

3. My first port-of-call for `scholarly' work is Schiller:
Gertrud Schiller, Iconography of Christian Art (London: Lund
Humphries, 1971-72). Translation of the first two vols. of the
following: Gertrud Schiller, Ikonographie der christlichen Kunst, vols. 1-
4.2 (Guetersloh: Mohn, 1966-.  See:Gertrud Schiller, Ikonographie der christlichen Kunst:
Registerbeiheft zu den Baenden 1 bis 4,2,  bearb. von Rupert Schreiner (Guetersloh: Mohn, 1980).

4. Another good old standby: Karl Kuenstle, Ikonographie der
christlichen Kunst, 2 vol (Freiburg: Herder, 1926-28)

5. Bob Kaske's favorite was: Louis Réau, Iconographie de l'art
chrétien, 3 vol in 6 (Paris: PUF, 1955-59).

6. For what it covers: Raimond van Marle, Iconographie de l'art
profane au Moyen-Age et  à la Renaissance, et la décoration des
demeures (New York, Hacker Art Books, 1971).

7. The books by Émile Mâle are all excellent, particularly the
one on the 13th Century.  They are available in various formats and
by various publishers and in translation.  Mâle did not invent
iconography, but he sure pushed it.  Reads well, again particularly
the one on the 13th C., which might be used as an introduction in
a class on iconography of medieval art; I so used it.

Émile Mâle, L'art religieux du XIIe siècle en France; Étude
sur les origines de l'iconographie du moyen âge (Paris: Colin,
1922).

Émile Mâle, L'art religieux du XIIIe siècle en France, 3d ed.
(Paris: Colin, 1910). Published in English under the name The
Gothic Image.  I cannot recommend this book too highly.

Émile Mâle, L'art religieux du XIIe au XVIIIe siècle,
published in English under the title Religious Art from the
Twelfth to the Eighteenth Century (NY: Noonday, 1949).  Does not
measure up to the other two.

8. More compendious works:

Hans Aurenhammer, Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie, 5 vols.
(Vienna: Hollinek, 1959-).

Engelbert Kirschbaum, Ed., Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie,
(Rome: Herder, 1968-).  Signed articles, bibliography.

Reallexikon zur deutschen Kunstgeschichte. (Stuttgart: J. B.
Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1937-). An excellent reference,
with long, signed articles, illustrations, copious bibliography.

9. One of my favorites of the more general works: Encyclopedia of
World Art, 15 vols. (NY: McGraw-Hill, 1959-68).  Translation and
reworking of Enciclopedia Universale dell'Arte.  Great look-up
book; good index.

10. For keeping up: The Art Index. Available on CD-ROM (Wilson)
and also online in larger libraries.

[There will be a later listing of the holdings in Marchand's
library; individual areas, e.g. Books of Hours, will receive
special treatment].