Jesus in Art and Literature

A richly illustrated visual biography of Jesus, through the finest masterpieces in the history of art and literature

Throughout history, Jesus of Nazareth has unquestionably been the most inspirational subject of great works of art and literature. His life and message have strongly permeated Western art of all periods, influencing giants such as Fra Angelico, Picasso, Tolstoy, and Houellebecq. In this richly illustrated book, Pierre-Marie Dumont has chosen nearly one hundred eclectic iconographic works of art, analyzing and comparing them to passages from the Bible and excerpts from great literary texts. It offers the reader an extraordinary variety of aesthetic interpretations of the life of Jesus and his teaching, from early Christian to modern art. Through works as diverse as The Hand of God by Auguste Rodin, The Resurrection of Lazarus by Rembrandt, and the "Hidden God" by Blaise Pascal, Mr. Dumont highlights the evocative power of the figure of Jesus, who for Christians is the "Christ of God."

Editor and author of many books about art and spirituality, Pierre-Marie Dumontis the creator and founding publisher of Magnificat, a monthly Catholic magazine with a readership of 500,000 in the United States and editions in five other languages throughout the world. The preface is by Edwart Vignot, an art historian specializing in 19th-century painting, as well as an author, journalist, visual artist, and videographer. Appointed an officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2016, he notably wrote Eugène Delacroix (Place des Victoires, 2017) and L'aquarelle et ses maîtres (Place des Victoires, 2018).