The Thief, the Cross and the Wheel: Pain and the Spectacle of Punishment in Medieval and Renaissance Europe
Pain and suffering are popular motifs in Western art. Indeed, the predominant Christian theme in medieval art is the Crucifixion of Christ. To understand better this ritualization of pain and death, Merback (art history, DePauw Univ.) attempts a serious study of the Crucifixion, the execution of the two thieves, torture, and the spectacle and ritual of punishment in medieval art. While the subject matter is gruesome and distasteful, this highly specialized study does bring to light symbolic meanings of the medieval depiction of pain and punishment, and Merback does a good job of explaining pain in the context of medieval life and philosophy. In the end, however, he's trying to do too much. Despite his efforts to tie together all the historical, theological, and social elements, the text ultimately meanders. Only for specialized academic collections.AKaren Ellis, Baldwin Boettcher Lib., Humble, TXCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.