Goddesses in Art

by Lanier Graham, F. Lanier Graham

Overview

Fascination with the goddess as a powerful figure throughout history has been growing since the contemporary women's movement evolved in the 1960s. An elemental part of all religious pantheons before the Iron Age, goddesses have resurfaced in the modern era as embodiments of female strength and wisdom, encompassing a variety of media -- sculpture, painting, photography, performance art, and film. The artists who have portrayed her in all her guises range from prehistoric and tribal shamans to European painters and sculptors such as Bernini, Rubens, and Titian to modern artists including Louise Bourgeois, Audrey Flack, Frida Kahlo, Henry Moore, and Andy Warhol.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780896600683
Publisher:	Artabras Publishers
Publication date:	04/28/1997
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	9.41(w) x 12.38(h) x 0.72(d)

Read an Excerpt

Fascination with the goddess as a powerful figure throughout history has been growing since the contemporary women's movement evolved in the 1960s. An elemental part of all religious pantheons before the Iron Age, goddesses have resurfaced in the modern era as embodiments of female strength and wisdom, encompassing a variety of media — sculpture, painting, photography, performance art, and film. The artists who have portrayed her in all her guises range from prehistoric and tribal shamans to European painters and sculptors such as Bernini, Rubens, and Titian to modern artists including Louise Bourgeois, Audrey Flack, Frida Kahlo, Henry Moore, and Andy Warhol.

Table of Contents

23 The Great Goddess: Generator of All Creation

31 The Great Goddess: Destroyer of All Creation

43 The Great Goddess-God: The Divine Androgyne

51 The Great Ancestor: Mother of the Tribe

63 Goddesses of the Animals

73 Goddesses of the Fields, Flowers, and Trees

91 Goddesses of Love and Sexuality

101 Goddesses of Health and Healing

109 Goddesses of War and Victory

117 Goddesses of Knowledge and Wisdom

127 The Spirit of the Goddess in Modern Art

Editorial Reviews

Such a beauteous array of women in stone, bronze, iron and gold makes of this book one of the most fascinating volumes in our history really a marvel.

Book World

This large-format book would distinguish the coffee table of any goddess temple. High-quality photographs and reproductions of hundreds of images trace the representation of the female deity throughout history, from the prehistoric Goddess of Willendorf sculpture, through ancient Western and Eastern traditions and the major world religions, to modern images by Gaugin, Frida Kahlo, and Dali, among others. The prints and photos are organized thematically rather than chronologically, allowing the many faces of the goddess to reveal themselves, through many cultures and epochs, as universal expressions of the human soul. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews