Astrology, Magic, and Alchemy in Art

Art critic and author Battistini presents an introductory guide to occult iconography in Western art. Originally published in Italian in 2004, the text is translated into English for this edition by Rosanna M. Giammanco Frongia. It features some 400 works from important Western museums, created by an array of major artists, from medieval times to the 20th century. Illustrated throughout with full-color and b&w reproductions, the text is suitable as a reference for students, scholars, and general readers. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
From antiquity to the Enlightenment, astrology, magic, and alchemy were considered important tools to unravel the mysteries of nature and human destiny. In this latest volume in the popular Guide to Imagery series, Battistini presents a careful analysis of occult iconography in many of the great masterpieces of Western art, calling out key features in the illustrations for discussion and interpretation.
From antiquity to the Enlightenment, astrology, magic, and alchemy were considered important tools to unravel the mysteries of nature and human destiny. As a result of the West's exposure during the Middle Ages to the astrological beliefs of Arab philosophers and the mystical writings of late antiquity, these occult traditions became rich sources of inspiration for Western artists. In this latest volume in the popular Guide to Imagery series, the author presents a careful analysis of occult iconography in many of the great masterpieces of Western art, calling out key features in the illustrations for discussion and interpretation. Astrological symbols decorated medieval churches and illuminated manuscripts as well as fifteenth-century Italian town halls and palaces. The transformational zymology of magic and alchemy that enlivened the work of a wide range of Renaissance artists, including Bosch, Brueghel, D:urer, and Caravaggio, found renewed expression in the visionary works of nineteenth-century artists, such as Fuseli and Blake, as well as in the creative output of the twentieth century's Surrealists.