A cornucopia of artistic delights.
Whether you are Christian or not it cannot be understated just how influential Christianity has been on Western Art. In this book Richard Harris traces the story of Christs birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection through undoubted masterpieces, both old and modern. The artworks and the stories which they reference are clearly explained without a hint of preaching. As an added bonus there are excerpts from the late Queen Elizabeth's Christmas speeches which clearly show how much her own faith provided a guiding light that illuminated her lifetime of service to her country and people.

I have received a copy via NetGalley and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

I love this! A beautiful book with a stylistically varied selection of artworks from across history. I really enjoyed Bishop Harries' commentary and the quotations from the Queen. This is an old-fashioned sort of book, but I think it will appeal to Christians around the world, monarchists or not. It is so rare to have a celebrity or leader be so gently but unapologetically Christian.

I especially appreciated the three-fold aspect of the book: Christ's life, the commentary on the artwork, and the selected reflections of Queen Elizabeth II.

Thanks to NetGalley and SPCK Publishing for this ARC. I received a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book found me at just the right time; I finished watching The Crown, a Netflix series about the life of Queen Elizabeth II December 22, the Friday before Christmas, and then I read this book December 23-24. I also plan to read the Bible in its entirety in 2024 as well as to learn more about visual art and music. So for me, at this moment in time, a book that chronicles the life of Jesus as told through art, interspersed with passages from the Gospels and quotes from the Queen's Christmas speeches over the years, was a timely read.

I was impressed by the choices that Harries, an Anglican bishop and author, made when selecting which pieces to illustrate the various points in Jesus's life. When I think of the Annunciation, I think of Raphael and his depiction of Gabriel's strong wings. When I think of a Pieta, I think of Michelangelo's masterpiece in Vatican City. Harries eschewed some of these more obvious choices and chose a variety of works spanning the globe and centuries. A variety of media, including tapestries, sculptures, paintings, icons, and carvings, are sprinkled throughout the book. Harries's accompanying text explains the historical context of each piece and its symbolic, spiritual meaning in a clear and interesting way.

I was particularly moved by Briton Riviere's Temptation in the Wilderness and Harries's accompanying discussion of internal versus external demons. I also loved the inclusion of Walking on Water III by Roger Wagner, a 2005 painting that depicts Jesus and Peter walking on the Thames with the Battersea Power Station in the background.

Though I enjoyed the combination of relevant Bible passages, fabulous art, and incisive commentary, the connection to Queen Elizabeth II didn't work for me. While the book mentions her steadfast faith and the loss that many UK citizens felt at her death in the introduction, I didn't think that the inclusion of quotes from her Christmas addresses added value to the book. I would have rather seen this book either omit them entirely and let the art and commentary stand on its own or include more about the Queen's faith, life, and theology. As written now, the quotes are rather bland statements about love and peace and don't add much to the discourse. The quotes feel tacked on, an afterthought. I could see the appeal of solely including art from the royal collections or including information about other royals and their love of art or specific patronage. Since the quotes were all from Christmas addresses, maybe the scope could have been narrowed to Christmas artwork. My personal preference would be to remove the quotes and let this work stand on its own merit because it's a good project.

I would definitely read more of Harries' work, specifically his books that analyze art through a Christian lens.

Bishop Harries offers here a well curated selection of scripture passages, artworks illustrating the passages, his own commentary on both, as well as excerpts from Queen Elizabeth II reflecting on Christianity. The book journeys through the life of Christ, accompanied by the diverse selection of art, much of which is lesser known. Bishop Harries commentary is both theologically and artistically insightful.

An absolutely enthralling book. The images are gorgeous, some very famous and well-known and some absolute gems of lesser-known pieces that were moving for the soul and mind. The book is superbly organised and goes through the life of Christ supported by images, words from Her Late Majesty and exploratory text linking the image to the Bible. The section on the temptation in the wilderness is very powerful and I am still using the image by Riviere as my screen saver to settle me and to reread the words of the book.