In this work, Abolala Soudavar examines seven paintings by some of the great masters of the 15th century and demonstrates how we can better understand the state of international relations and the political rivalries of the time by decoding the figures, their postures and gestures, the background scenes, the compositions and much else in these paintings. This is a period of geopolitical turmoil, with the Muslim Turkish assault on Europe causing distress within the Christian World. Yet it is also a time of courtly opulence and Shakespearean drama, with murders and vendettas, wars and crusades, intrigue and treachery dominating contemporary life. -- Dust Jacket.

The volume offers a variety of new interpretations of a selection of well-known and culturally established works of verbal and visual culture. It demonstrates how the two spheres of literature and broadly understood art, as well as the two qualities of old and new, interfuse, affect, re-shape, and complement each other. The focus here is particularly directed towards the perception of the canonical texts of culture by the modern, often young, addressee. Who are the Old Masters? Are contemporary works of art influenced by them? Is it possible to create ‘new classics’ without reference to the established conventions? These basic questions serve as a starting point for a stimulating academic discussion and a vibrant intellectual exchange.

Existentialism; Urbanism; Aporia; Deontic; Tabula Rasa; Hyperspace; Heterotopia; Metareality; Structuralism... What does it all mean? The unique language used in architectural theory – both in speech and writing – can appear daunting and confusing, particularly to new architectural students. Decoding Theoryspeak provides an accessible guide to the specialized language of contemporary design for the next generation of thinkers, architects and design leaders. It includes: definitions of over 200 terms clear cross-references illustrations throughout. It is an essential pocket-sized resource for students and practitioners alike.

In Esoteric Images: Decoding the Late Herat School of Painting Tawfiq Daʿadli decodes the pictorial language which flourished in the city of Herat, modern Afghanistan, under the rule of the last Timurid ruler, Sultan Husayn Bayqara (r.1469-1506). This study focuses on one illustrated manuscript of a poem entitled Khamsa by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi, kept in the British Library under code Or.6810. Tawfiq Daʿadli decodes the paintings, reveals the syntax behind them and thus deciphers the message of the whole manuscript. The book combines scholarly efforts to interpret theological-political lessons embedded in one of the foremost Persian schools of art against the background of the court dynamic of an influential medieval power in its final years.

Unlock the world of Richard Wagner and his works, his monumental achievements, and, ultimately, the great emotional power inherent in his art. The accompanying book provides a fresh overview of his significance for contemporary audiences and culture. 2 CDs.

'How to read a painting' draws the attention to the imagery and the wonderful, apparently inconsequential details in paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, El Greco, Michelangelo, Rubens, Vermeer, Hogarth, Gainsborough and many more. Brief yet illuminating explanations accompany over 900 colour illustrations, providing the means to interpret and enjoy these and many other works.

Students and scholars of biblical reception history; of new testament studies; of English/British history; of English/British literature

The discovery of this masterpiece Whistler's "Portrait of William Merritt Chase," along with another important Whistler painting, "Harmony in Black, No10," reveals exciting new discoveries on Whistler's artistic methods, from the Old Masters and the artistic truisms of the Renaissance. Documented analysis including x-ray examination, forensics and recognized paintings by Whistler's followers will confirm this portrait and "Harmony in Black, No10," with x-ray revealing two lost paintings. These Whistler paintings connect scholarship and identify paintings worthy of merit and what makes a masterpiece a masterpiece.

Decoding Dictatorial Statues' is a collection of images and texts revolving around the different ways we can look at statues in public space. How can we decode statues in terms of their object hood and materiality, their role as media icons and their voice in political debates?

A new history of early global literature that treats translators as active agents mediating cultures. In this book, Zrinka Stahuljak challenges scholars in both medieval and translation studies to rethink how ideas and texts circulated in the medieval world. Whereas many view translators as mere conduits of authorial intention, Stahuljak proposes a new perspective rooted in a term from journalism: the fixer. With this language, Stahuljak captures the diverse, active roles medieval translators and interpreters played as mediators of entire cultures—insider informants, local guides, knowledge brokers, art distributors, and political players. Fixers offers nothing less than a new history of literature, art, translation, and social exchange from the perspective not of the author or state but of the fixer.