Today we imagine the Devil with horns, tail and pitchfork, but medieval and early Renaissance artists saw him very differently. In illuminated manuscripts, mosaics, frescoes, and carved capitals he is to be found in a bewildering variety of forms and guises. The lack of a stable pictorial model, misreadings of Mesopotamian and classical figures, and the Church’s own shifting response to heresies, have all helped determine how the Devil was represented. Who he really was and why he looks the way he does can only be understood by probing the political and theological controversies of the times.
Why is the Devil never shown suffering in Hell? How is it that he sometimes appears to be doing God’s work? What is the origin of his characteristic flaming hair, and where did those instruments of torture, wielded by his cruel assistants, come from?
This book, which covers the sixth to the sixteenth centuries, draws on original sources, including colorful accounts in the Apocrypha of the Devil’s origins and his true first crime, the writings of St Augustine and other Church Fathers, and reports of the intrigues of popes and emperors. Luther Link offers us unexpected insights into a wide range of artworks, from the carved capitals in the Romanesque church of St Benoît and Giotto’s famous Arena Chapel frescoes to Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in Rome. The result, the first comprehensive account of the arch-fiend in art, is a fascinating study in the history of visual representation.
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Topic
ArtSubtopic
Art GeneralTable of contents
- Front Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The Name of the Devil
- 2 What the Devil Looks Like
- 3 Heresy and Hell
- 4 Gislebertus, Giotto, and the Eroticism of Hell
- 5 The Devil as Rebel Angel
- Epilogue
- References
- Select Bibliography
- Photographic Acknowledgements
- Index
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access The Devil by Luther Link in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Art & Art General. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.