In the Name of the Image : Figurative Representation in Islamic and Christian Cultures

'Looking at Byzantine coins, Persian miniatures, and images of Jesus and Muhammad both preserved and scratched out, Axel Langer and a dozen other scholars dissolve the clean Occident-Orient opposition inherited from the 19th century, and reveal how iconophilia and iconophobia go hand in hand' - New York Times

A richly illustrated, thoroughly informative look at Figurative Representation in Islamic and Christian Cultures

Images are the cornerstone of culture. At a single glance, a society's understanding of itself is crystallized in them; they are the agents of a common perspective, as well as witnesses to it. At the same time, there is a whiff of ideology and distorted perception about them.

In between the two poles of the crucifix and the gold calf, there is a field of tension where Christianity and Islam dwell. The histories of both religions fluctuate between the extremes of idolatry and iconoclasm. Sometimes they lean in one direction, and sometimes in the other, while at other times they seek a conciliatory balance.

Outside of theological debates, this opens up an area full of aesthetic distinctions and approaches. This exhibition catalogue offers a richly illustrated, thoroughly informative look at these unusual histories of art and their currency in the world today.

One of the New York Times' art books of the year, 2022.

Details

• Author: Doris Behrens Abouseif
• Paperback: 504 pages | 170 illustrations
• Date published: March 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9783775747332
• Product Dimensions: 49.4 x 27.1  cm