Sacred Muse

This concise guide provides an introduction to the rich and variegated subject of Christian currents through art and music down the ages; it is personal in its focus on favorite major artists and their subjects as examples of these sacred themes. The author’s professional focus on the Baroque giants Rubens and Bernini, who followed the revolutionary Caravaggio, explains—if not justifies—the central place they claim in this study. Scribner, author of numerous books on the arts, places them in the context of the broader Christian tradition. The focus is admittedly European—some might say Eurocentric—not global. His aim is to offer a brief, illustrated book that may be read in one sitting. It is intended to be protreptic, something that will encourage and spur on the reader—teacher, student, amateur alike—to pursue their own explorations in periods and artists that likewise hold special appeal. The book will include 45 color and b&w illustrations of great works of art.