The Square Halo and Other Mysteries of Western Art: Images and the Stories That Inspired Them
The very symbols and stories that imbue much of Western art with its meaning and drama are  often enigmatic to contemporary viewers. Why, for example, are some saints represented by certain  animals, or why are they depicted with square or triangular halos? The answers, which were once clear to  viewers of previous eras, are now long-forgotten and obscure. Paintings from earlier centuries can be  totally mystifying if viewers do not understand certain iconography and what it once meant to the artist and  his or her patrons. Author Sally Fisher, who worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 17 years,  bridges that gap with this fascinating, clearly written book. Each of the 150 works of art included (most in  full color) illustrates age-old beliefs, stories, and symbols, from Old Testament stories and the lives of the  Madonna, Christ, and the saints, to the peculiar symbolism of classical mythology.