Medieval Iconography

This annotated bibliography aims to help researchers to accurately interpret motifs in medieval art and literature. The book describes overview studies and identifies and briefly annotates journal articles in English and all major European languages. The section on medieval art treats library catalogues of illuminated medieval manuscripts and genres such as glass, sculpture and wood carving by country. Medieval encyclopaedias, preaching handbooks and sermons are also examined. In the section on the natural world, a survey is presented of imagery of land, water, animals, plants, stones and illustrated bestiaries. The Christian tradition is also examined, with reference to the Bible and its apocrypha, saints' legends and specific biblical features. Under the heading of "Learned Imagery", the book discusses alchemy, astrology, mythology and famous people such as King Arthur and Alexander the Great. Finally, topics of daily life are examined, such as medieval ideas of beauty and the body, colour symbolism, costumes, feasts and specific images like the symbolism of mirrors.