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The Art of Faith: A Lent and Easter Journey Through Duccio's Maesta
by Sr Wendy Beckett (Canterbury Press, 2007)
Duccio di Buoninsegna's Maesta altarpiece was commissioned for Siena Cathedral in 1308 and completed in 1311. The masterpiece was broken up in 1711 and panels are now held in collections around the world. This book brings together Sr Wendy Beckett's reflections on the panels; a series that was published weekly in The Sunday Bulletin by Redemptorist Publications during Lent and Eastertide 2006.
The largest panel in the altarpiece shows the Virgin Mary enthroned as Queen of heaven, holding the child Jesus and surrounded by angels and saints. This book looks at the panels on the reverse of the altarpiece that show scenes from the life of Christ. Each of these fourteen panel depictions is beautifully and clearly produced. They include Christ and the Woman of Sumaria, the entry into Jerusalem, the three Mary's at the Tomb and the Ascension.
Sr Wendy's reflections on each of these panels is thought provoking and astute. They are also fairly brief and very readable. Observing the paintings from a Christian perspective she interprets the depictions in terms of a larger spiritual meaning. She enjoys imaginatively engaging with each depiction. Details, such as a facial expression or a person's mannerism, are used to further hers and our own understanding of the Gospel stories of Jesus. She shows us how each painting not only tells part of the story of the life of Jesus, but has deeper spiritual meaning to which we the viewer are beckoned into.
Sr Wendy's prose style is conversational and personal. As she reflects on the paintings she will ask questions of the reader: 'Does what we believe affect our daily lives?' or, 'Was there some reason why Thomas felt less threatened when he knew that Jesus was dead?' They are not questions about the paintings themselves, but what she believes the paintings are encouraging the viewer to think about. Part of the ease in reading Sr Wendy is her own gentle invitation to us, as co-viewers with her, to sit with and find our own story with Jesus and his disciples.
This is a really good book to read during the Lenten and Easter Season. It's another way into the Gospel stories. This can be a fresh encounter with the Gospel stories themselves, or a re-awakening of forgotten nuances and meaning. Either way, it's a strong call and helpful guide for deepening our relationship with Jesus during this season of the church year.
RRP $29.95, Our Price $28.45
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