Brimming with Sister Wendy Beckett's irrepressible wisdom and enthusiasm, The Art of Holy Week and Easter is a beautiful Lent book for 2021 exploring the spiritual riches of some of the world's greatest paintings of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. Illustrated in stunning full colour with thirty famous and lesser-known Western masterpieces and presented in a small, easily portable format, this little book is ideal Lent reading for all art lovers. The Art of Holy Week and Easter offers a chance to hear again the voice of Sister Wendy as she gently leads you into a deeper appreciation of all that these paintings convey to the discerning eye. You'll gain a fuller and more spiritual understanding of Christian art, and see Holy Week and Easter as never before.
Foreword v
Copyright acknowledgements vii
PART ONE: 'THIS IS MY BODY'
1 Jesus enters Jerusalem 4
2 Jesus cleanses the Temple 6
3 Jesus washes his disciples' feet 8
4 The Last Supper: I 10
5 The Last Supper: II 12
6 'I am the true vine' 14
7 In the Garden of Gethsemane 16
PART TWO: 'BEHOLD THE MAN!'
8 Judas betrays Jesus 20
9 The trial before Caiaphas 22
10 Peter denies Jesus 24
11 Peter's repentance 26
12 The trial before Pilate 28
13 Jesus is stripped of his garments 30
14 Jesus is mocked by the soldiers 32
PART THREE: 'FATHER, FORGIVE THEM'
15 Crucifixion: I 36
16 Crucifixion: II 38
17 Crucifixion: III 40
18 Jesus is mourned by his disciples 42
19 Jesus is mourned by Mary 44
20 The entombment 46
21 Jesus is mourned by angels 48
PART FOUR: 'HE IS RISEN!'
22 The descent into Hell 52
23 The women visit the tomb 54
24 Resurrection: I 56
25 Resurrection: II 58
26 Resurrection: III 60
27 'Do not touch me' 62
28 The supper at Emmaus 64
29 Doubting Thomas 66
30 Ascension 68
Sister Wendy (1930-2018) was a Carmelite nun, consecrated virgin and art historian who became world famous in the 1990s when she presented a series of BBC documentaries on the history of painting. She was the author of over thirty books on Christian art, including the internationally bestselling The Story of Painting (Dorling Kindersley, 1997). Her most recent books include Sister Wendy's Bible Treasury (SPCK, 2012), The Art of Lent (SPCK, 2017) and Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings (SPCK, 2019).
Gorgeous, beautifully produced, and Sister Wendy's comments are sharp and sensual. . . Beauty and surprise on every page, this is a book to linger over. * Piers Plowright, writing in the Tablet, on Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings *