The Outstanding Aspects Of The Coptic Arts

Professor Alexander Badawy has written and profusely illustrated this rich study of the works of Coptic Egyptians starting in the early Christian period following the Antique and ending with the assimilation of Coptic art into that of Islam. Coptic Art and Archaeologyis based on extensive archaeological excavations and on researchers' accounts. In developing his thesis on the nature of the Coptic spirit in the arts, Professor Badawy—an archaeologist and art historian—has drawn upon his own firsthand observations plus a wealth of materials from museums all over the world. The result is a comprehensive examination of the Coptic arts. The text is illustrated with photographs (including the author's own), with plans of excavated sites, and with the author's restored perspectives. It is a journey through the sites and discoveries that have provided present knowledge of the Coptic civilization: a journey that included the architecture of houses and towns, fortified and unfortified monasteries, murals, paintings, and sculpture in several media, textiles, ceramics, and illuminated manuscripts. All are described in painstaking detail and historical context by the author. Illustrations are keyed to the text, which in turn demonstrates that Coptic art was in many ways a "people's art"—an art of the middle and lower classes—and not invariably a religious art. Developments in style reflected the changing fortunes of the Egyptian Christians, and this, too, is carefully traced and the examples are noted in the text and in illustrations. Professor Badawy concludes the book with a study of the effects of Coptic art on European artistic traditions. The remarkable comprehensiveness of this book will make it a basic tool of professional art historians and archaeologists, and it seems inevitable that the extensive and detailed descriptions of the extant works of Coptic artists will stimulate additional research into this area of art history. The professional and the student will find especially helpful the extensive footnotes, bibliography of international sources listed by subject area (e.g. Sculpture, Architecture, Painting), and the literally hundreds of illustrations that provide an unparalleled single-book source of examples of Coptic art. For those who cannot make the pilgrimage to the actual sites or visit the museum collections all over the world, Professor Badawy has provided the next best thing: a painstakingly detailed representative description of the treasures that are known. This is also a book for the layman who can enjoy the evidences of the Coptic genius in ornamentation and gain an appreciation of the influences of history and politics on the art and culture of a people.

Egypt, the birthplace of communal monasticism, has a rich store of monasteries and monastic art. Coptic Monasteries takes the reader on a tour of the best preserved and most significant of these ancient religious centers, documenting in exhaustive detail the richness and the glory of the Coptic heritage. An informative introduction by Tim Vivian brings to life the early Christian era, with background information on the origins of the Coptic Church as well as its rites and ceremonies, sketches of some of monasticism's founding figures, and accounts of some of the difficulties they faced, from religious schism to nomadic attacks. Gawdat Gabra's expert commentary, complemented by almost one hundred full-color photographs of newly restored wall paintings and architectural features, covers monasteries from Aswan to Wadi al-Natrun. Ranging across a thousand years of history, Gabra's observations will make any reader an expert on the composition and content of some of Egypt's most outstanding religious art, the salient architectural features of each monastery, as well as the ongoing process of restoration that has returned much of their original vibrancy to these works. A unique and invaluable historical record, Coptic Monasteries is equally an in-depth, on-the-spot guide to these living monuments or an armchair trip back in time to the roots of one of the world's oldest Christian traditions.

Through haunting landscapes of the Nile Valley, oases and deserts, purely designed buildings, sumptuous paintings, beautiful illuminations, and exquisite fabrics, "Christian Egypt" transports the reader through the two-thousand year history and culture of Coptic Egypt. In "Christian Egypt," Massimo Capuani invites students, scholars, and other interested readers to gain a greater appreciation of the richness of the Coptic civilization by traveling through ancient and medieval Coptic sites throughout Egypt, including the ruined monasteries of Saint Jeremiah (Saqqara) and Saint Apollo (Bawit). Capuani's comprehensive examination of the archeological studies and historical literature of Coptic Christian monasteries and churches are supported by over 170 black-and-white photographs, maps, and architectural illustrations. In addition, 105 full-color photographs provide a substantive record of monuments, architectural features, and wall paintings not seen elsewhere with such clarity and beauty. A chronology of Egypt from 332 B.C. to 1952 and an essay on the typology and architectural evolution of Egyptian churches add to the value of the work. "Christian Egypt" is enriched by the contribution of Otto F. A. Meinardus, who introduces readers to Coptic Egypt with a discussion of basic issues such as the patriarchs of Alexandria and theology of the World Church during the fourth and fifth centuries, the history of the Coptic Church, monasticism, the attitude of Egypt's rulers toward the Copts, and the Coptic renaissance during the pontificates of the patriarchs Cyril VI and Shenouda III. In a valuable, concise account, Marie-Helene Rutschowscaya elucidates several aspects of Coptic art: wall paintings, icons, illustrated manuscripts, as well as textiles. She offers readers a comprehensive picture of the artistic achievements of the Copts. Gawdat Gabra's thorough knowledge of current archeological activity and the most recent consensus regarding the dates and other questions concerning churches and monasteries enhance the store of information in "Christian Egypt." Contents include Introduction," by Gawdat Gabra; *Coptic Christianity, Past and Present, - by Otto F. A. Meinardus; *The Arts Using Color, - by Marie-Helene Rutschowscaya; *Typology and Architectural Evolution of the Egyptian Churches Areas and Regions, - by Massimo Capuani; and *Areas and Regions, - by Massimo Capuani. Areas and regions included are The Region of the Delta, Nitria and Kellia, Scetis (Wadi al-Natrun), Cairo and Its Vicinity, Al-Fayyum and the Region of Beni Suef, The Eastern Desert, The Region of al-Minya, The Region of Asyut, The Region of Sohag and Akhmim, The Thebaid, Upper Egypt, and The Oases. Includes a chronology, bibliography, glossary, and index of places. "Massimo Capuani, an engineer and researcher, is an expert in the history of the Eastern Christian Churches and has a thorough knowledge of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean worlds; he has collected rich documentation about their cultural and artistic development. Otto F. A. Meinardus, Fellow of the Institute of Coptic Studies in Cairo and a member of the German Archaeological Society, is a doctor of philosophy and theology and a professor at the American University in Cairo and Athens College in Greece. Marie-Helene Rutschowscaya is head curator of the department of Egyptian antiquities at the Louvre and director of the Coptic section; she is also a professor at the ecole du Louvre. Gawdat Gabra, former director of the Coptic Museum in Cairo and member of the board of the Society of Coptic Archaeology, has a doctorate in Coptology from the University of Munster. He serves as a consultant in a number of projects of the American Research Center in Egypt and is chief editor of the Saint Mark Foundation for Coptic History Studies."

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the heritage of Coptic Christians. The contributors combine academic expertise with intimate and practical knowledge of the Coptic Orthodox Church and Coptic heritage. The chapters explore historical, cultural, literary and material aspects, including: the history of Christianity in Egypt, from the pre-Christian era to the modern day Coptic religious culture: theology, monasticism, spirituality, liturgy and music the Coptic language, linguistic expressions of the Coptic heritage and literary production in Greek, Coptic and Arabic . material culture and artistic expression of the Copts: from icons, mosaics and frescos to manuscript illuminations, woodwork and textiles. Students will find The Coptic Christian Heritage an invaluable introduction, whilst scholars will find its breadth provides a helpful context for specialised research.

A beautiful full-color celebration of the artistic heritage of Egypt?'s Coptic tradition

In The Way of Beauty, David Clayton describes how a true Catholic education is both a program of liturgical catechesis and an inculturation that aims for the supernatural transformation of the person so that he can in turn transfigure the whole culture through the divine beauty of his daily action. There is no human activity, no matter how mundane, that cannot be enhanced by this formation in beauty. Such enhanced activity then resonates in harmony with the common good and, through its beauty, draws all people to the Church--and ultimately to the worship of God in the Sacred Liturgy. The Way of Beauty will be of profound interest not only to artists, architects, and composers, but also to educators, who can apply its principles in home and classroom for the formation and education of children and students of all ages and at all levels--family, homeschooling, high school, college, and university. "Since the good, the true, and the beautiful are a manifestation of the Trinity, it is always a grievous fault to leave beauty out of any discussion of the relationship between faith and reason. This being so, I am thrilled at the way David Clayton illustrates how beauty stands in eternal communion with the good and the true."--JOSEPH PEARCE, Aquinas College "In spite of the great proclamation that the sacred liturgy is the font and apex of all we are about as Catholics, fifty years after the Council we still seem far from seeing and living this truth in all its fullness. Drawing upon years of experience as artist and teacher, David Clayton thoroughly unpacks this truth and shows, with an impressive range of examples, how it can and should play out every day in our schools, academic curricula, cultural endeavors, and practice of the fine arts. His treatment of the ways in which architecture, liturgy, and music reflect the mathematical ordering of the cosmos and the hierarchy of created being is illuminating and exciting. The Way of Beauty is a manifesto for the re-integration of the truth laid hold of in intellectual disciplines, the beauty aspired to in art and worship, and the good embodied in morals and manners. Ambitiously integrative yet highly practical, this book ought to be in the hands of every Catholic educator, pastor, and artist."--PETER KWASNIEWSKI, Wyoming Catholic College "In The Way of Beauty, David Clayton offers us a mini-liberal arts education. The book is a counter-offensive against a culture that so often seems to have capitulated to a 'will to ugliness.' He shows us the power in beauty not just where we might expect it--in the visual arts and music--but in domains as diverse as math, theology, morality, physics, astronomy, cosmology, and liturgy. But more than that, his study of beauty makes clear the connection between liturgy, culture, and evangelization, and offers a way to reinvigorate our commitment to the Good, the True, and the Beautiful in the twenty-first century. I am grateful for this book and hope many will take its lessons to heart."--JAY W. RICHARDS, Catholic University of America "Every pope who has promoted the new evangelization has spoken about how essential 'the way of beauty' is in engaging the modern world with the Gospel. What is it about the experience of beauty that can arrest the heart, crack it open, and stir its deepest longings, leading us on a pilgrimage to God? David Clayton's book provides compelling answers."--CHRISTOPHER WEST, Founder and President of The Cor Project DAVID CLAYTON is an internationally acclaimed Catholic artist, teacher, and published writer on sacred art, liturgy, and culture. He was Fellow and Artist in Residence at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire from 2009 until May 2015 and is the founder of the Way of Beauty program, which has been taught for college credit, featured on television, and is now presented in this book.

A full-color guide to one of Egypt?'s leading museums