"A Feast for the Senses" by Martina Bagnoli

A Feast for the Senses Art and Experience in Medieval Europe Martina Bagnoli, Virginia Brilliant, Carla Casagrande, Emma Dillon, Barbara Newman, Christina Normore

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Format:: Hardback
Publication date:: 18 Oct 2016
ISBN:: 9780300222951
Imprint:: Walters Art Museum
Dimensions:: 280 pages: 292 x 254mm
Illustrations:: 241 color + 4 b-w illus.
Sales territories:: World

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The late medieval world was marked by a culture of refinement and sophistication. The period’s media of choice—paintings, manuscripts, prints, tapestries, embroideries, ivory sculpture, metalwork, and enamels—speak volumes about the pleasures of sensory engagement. Art objects were touched, smelled, tasted, and heard, as well as seen.

This sumptuous new book brings together sacred and secular art to reveal the shared intellectual culture that governed the understanding of perception and the role of senses in Europe from the 12th through the 16th century. A focused exploration of the performative and multifaceted nature of medieval art underscores its direct appeal to the senses, revealing the rich experiential world that informed its interpretation. Eight essays explore these themes through representations of religious practices, royal rituals, feasts and celebrations, music, and literature. Beautifully designed and produced, A Feast for the Senses contributes significantly to an emerging field in the history of art and showcases approximately 130 objects, each accompanied by a full description, provenance, and bibliography.

Martina Bagnoli is the executive director of the Gallerie Estensi in Modena, Italy.