The Icons of Their Bodies

"Anyone who has more than a passing interest in icons will find Maguire's book extremely helpful. He provides a decoding of the iconographical tradition that helps us gain a more perceptive eye."--Lawrence S. Cunningham, Commonweal "Henry Maguire's study of saints' images in Byzantine art is a timely contribution to the study of Byzantine saints... The merits of Maguire's book, however, go even further... This study provides ample evidence that medieval artists were able to employ a varied register of different 'languages' and contradicts the still widespread notion that medieval artists were caught up in a particular 'style.'"--Barbara Zeitler, American Journal of Archaeology "A book that is written with striking lucidity, admirable command, and even daring."--Glenn Peers, Speculum "Eunice Maguire and Henry Maguire bring to their project a long and learned experience of Byzantium. From texts to textiles, no one in the field has a greater depth of familiarity with such a range of cultural artifacts. By putting the 'margins' of traditional art--architectural ornament, ceramics, 'minor' arts, and the like--at the center of their study, the authors reveal the imaginative and often subversive power of Byzantine artistic imagination."--Choice

Henry Maguire is Professor of Art History at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. From 1991 to 1996 he served as Director of Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks. His books include Art and Eloquence in Byzantium (Princeton), and he was a contributor to The Glory of Byzantium.

List of Figures vii Preface xvii Introduction 3 1. Likeness and Definition 5 2. Corporality and Immateriality 48 3. Naming and Individuality 100 4. Detail and Deficiency 146 Conclusion 195 Abbreviations 201 Notes 202 Chapter Bibliographies 210 Saints' Lives in Translation 214 Index 215