A window provides access to two of life's essentials, light and air, but it is more than just a means to an end. Windows also have symbolic, expressive and architectural qualities that have for centuries inspired some of the world's greatest artists. In this engaging new study, Christopher Masters celebrates the multiple roles of the window in art through five key themes, from the window as a status symbol to its use as a provider of physical and spiritual illumination; from its employment as a literal window on the world outside the confines of a room to its function as a mirror, reflecting the emotions of the artist or the individuals depicted; and finally to the immense architectural variety of windows that animate interior and exterior scenes throughout Western painting. With superb reproductions of 90 works by major artists from Giotto to Banksy, and spirited analysis of the paintings' meanings, this is a remarkable exploration of an important but hitherto neglected subject in art history.

About the Author
Christopher Masters is a writer and lecturer on art based in London. He writes for The Guardian newspaper and is the author of a book on Salvador Dali, as well as numerous articles and contributions to works of reference.

Reviews
'thought-provoking and illuminating ... it offers an intriguing perspective on this often overlooked feature' - HOMES & GARDENS MAGAZINE 'Some very famous works have hidden windows and once the are pointed out we wonder how we missed them before so this volume becomes a window into the subject itself and one that enriches our looking. This is an intriguing subject and one not to be missed.' - THE YORKSHIRE PRESS



Book Information
ISBN 9781858945545
Author Christopher Masters
Format Hardback
Page Count 192
Imprint Merrell Publishers Ltd
Publisher Merrell Publishers Ltd