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Art As Spiritual Perception ART AS SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION AS AS ART JAMES ROMAINE (PhD, The aking a critical contribution S Mto the field of art history, this reader Graduate Center, The City University PIRITU of New York) is a New York based covers everything from sixth-century icons art historian. He is cofounder of the to contemporary art from a Christian perspective. Written by experts from Association of Scholars of Christianity in A L around the world, this book reflects the the History of Art as well as an associate PERCEPTION professor and chair of the department of work of noted scholars, most especially art history at Nyack College. John Walford and Hans Rookmaaker, “ A rich kaleidoscope of art historical essays all centered around one common theme as well as the richness of the history of of increasing importance today—the way in which artists’ views of the world, not least Christianity and the visual arts. This wide- their religious beliefs, shape artistic perception and meaning.” ranging collection of essays will be an ADRIENNE DENGERINK CHAPLIN, co-author, Art and Soul: Signposts for Christians encouragement and inspiration to all who in the Arts; former senior member in philosophical aesthetics, The Institute for Christian Studies love art and love God. “ This collection of essays displays the fruit of John Walford’s labors through the work of scholars who have received his artistic insights and share his passion for close readings of visual imagery, clear expressions of doctrinal truth, and joyful experiences of aesthetic delight.” PHILIP GRAHAM RYKEN, President, Wheaton College “ James Romaine and his fellow scholars have added a significant new volume to the select canon of books on art and faith. This is a fantastic book.” ROMAINE NED BUSTARD, editor, It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God ; illustrator, The Church History ABCs ESSAYS IN HONOR OF E. JOHN WALFORD EDITED BY JAMES ROMAINE Christianity / Arts FWORE ORD BY MARLEEN HENGELAAR-ROOKMAAKER U.S. $40.00 “Over many years, John Walford has been an extraordinary and energetic scholar, writer, teacher, and artist. This Festschrift is a fitting tribute to a man whose life has touched so many and in such profound ways.” Jeremy S. Begbie, Thomas A. Langford Research Professor of Theology, Duke Divinity School; author, Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music “Over the course of his distinguished career as an art historian, John Walford has given generations of students the gift of sight. Professor Walford has enabled us to perceive in the visible world the spiritual meanings inherent within works of art. This collection of essays displays the fruit of his labors through the work of schol- ars who have received his artistic insights and share his passion for close readings of visual imagery, clear expressions of doctrinal truth, and joyful experiences of aesthetic delight.” Philip G. Ryken, President, Wheaton College “Art as Spiritual Perception is a rich kaleidoscope of art historical essays all centered around one common theme of increasing importance today—the way in which artists’ views of the world, not least their religious beliefs, shape artistic perception and meaning. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to the impressive work and legacy of John Walford.” Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin, coauthor, Art and Soul: Signposts for Christians in the Arts; former senior member in philosophical aesthetics, the Institute for Christian Studies “It is with great delight that I herald the arrival of Art as Spiritual Perception in honor of Dr. Walford. James Romaine and his fellow scholars have created a fitting work in tribute to Walford and—perhaps more importantly—have added a signifi- cant new volume to the select canon of books on art and faith. This is a fantastic book. The chapter on Van Gogh alone is worth the price of admission.” Ned Bustard, editor, It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God “This wide-ranging collection of essays by current colleagues and former students will be an encouragement and inspiration to all who love art and love God. It is a fitting testimony to the career of John Walford, whose life and work have been characterized by faithfulness to his guild, faithfulness to his students, faithfulness to his college, and above all, faithfulness to God.” Lisa DeBoer, Professor of Art, Westmont College Art as Spiritual Perception.531798.i05.indd 1 6/11/12 3:02 PM Art as Spiritual Perception.531798.i05.indd 10 6/11/12 3:02 PM Art as Spiritual Perception: Essays in Honor of E. John Walford Copyright © 2012 by James Romaine Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Cover design: Josh Dennis Cover image: Scala/Art Resource, NY First printing 2012 Printed in China Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. The Scripture reference marked NIV is taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permis- sion. All rights reserved worldwide. The Scripture quotation marked ASV is from the American Standard Version of the Bible. All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors. Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-3179-8 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-3180-4 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-3181-1 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-3182-8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Art as spiritual perception : essays in honor of E. John Walford / edited by James Romaine ; foreword by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4335-3179-8 (hc) 1. Spirituality in art. 2. Artists—Religious life. I. Walford, E. John, 1945- honoree. II. Romaine, James, editor of compilation. N8248.S77A78 2012 701'.1—dc23 2012007347 Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. OGP 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Art as Spiritual Perception.531798.i05.indd 6 6/11/12 3:02 PM CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 11 FOREWORD 15 Mentoring Eyes: Hans Rookmaaker and John Walford Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker INTRODUCTION 23 You Will See Greater Things than These: John Walford’s Content-oriented Method of Art History James Romaine 1 NEOFITUS, HE WENT TO GOD 41 The Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus Linda Møskeland Fuchs 2 GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE AND “THE PURE AND 59 NAKED SEEING OF DIVINE REALITY” Chartres Cathedral Rachel Hostetter Smith 3 HEAVEN COME TO EARTH 75 The Limbourg Brothers’ January (from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry) Matthew Sweet Vanderpoel 4 ACADEMIA’S “RELIGIOUS TURN” 91 The Brancacci Chapel Matthew Milliner 5 THE SHAPE OF PLACE 109 Joachim Patinir’s Landscape with Saint Jerome Henry Luttikhuizen 6 THE PERCEPTION OF SPIRITUALITY 123 Hans Holbein’s The French Ambassadors William Dyrness Art as Spiritual Perception.531798.i05.indd 7 6/11/12 3:02 PM 7 A LOCALIZED PROVIDENCE 137 Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Hunters in the Snow Rachel-Anne Johnson 8 SPACE, SYMBOL, AND SPIRIT 151 Pieter Saenredam’s Interior of the Church of Saint Odulphus at Assendelft Jan Laurens Siesling 9 CATEGORIES FOR ART HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY 165 Antoine Watteau’s The Dance (Les Fetes Venitiennes) Calvin Seerveld 10 DEPARTING LIGHT 181 Caspar David Friedrich’s Tetschen Altar (Cross in the Mountains) Kaia Magnusen 11 REMEMBER THY CREATOR 193 John Constable’s Dedham Vale Anne Roberts 12 WHAT THE HALO SYMBOLIZED 207 Vincent van Gogh’s Sower with Setting Sun James Romaine 13 EVOLVING A “BETTER” WORLD 225 Piet Mondrian’s Flowering Apple Tree Graham Birtwistle 14 SPIRITUALLY CHARGED VISUAL STRATEGY 239 Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm Linda Stratford 15 THE LIBERATING MYTH 255 Joseph Beuys’s I Like America and America Likes Me James Watkins AFTERWORD 271 A Portrait of E. John Walford Joel Sheesley CONTRIBUTORS 278 INDEX 281 Art as Spiritual Perception.531798.i05.indd 8 6/11/12 3:02 PM Art as Spiritual Perception.531798.i05.indd 13 6/11/12 3:02 PM Jacob van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem. Late 1660s. Oil on canvas, 24 1/2" x 21 3/5". Kunsthaus, Zurich. © 2011 Kunsthaus Zürich. All rights reserved. Art as Spiritual Perception.531798.i05.indd 22 6/11/12 3:02 PM INTRODUCTION You Will See Greater Things than These: John Walford’s Content- oriented Method of Art History1 JAMES ROMAINE John Walford’s art historical methodology may be described as see- ing in pursuit of meaning. As evidenced in Jacob van Ruisdael and the Perception of Landscape (Yale University Press, 1991) and Great Themes in Art (Prentice-Hall, 2002), he examines the artwork as a consumma- tion of a process of perception by which invisible and inherent content is made manifest. Through a careful study of the art object’s formal and iconographic elements, as well as the historical, social, and reli- gious context in which the work was created, Walford perceives and describes this essential significance. As a writer and educator, he has modeled this content-oriented method2 of perception, opening up a world of visual pleasure, intellectual contemplation, and spiritual sub- stance to his readers and students.
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