Content area
Full text
The Cistercian Arts from the 12th to the 21st Century. Edited by Terryl N. Kinder and Roberto Cassanelli. Translated by Joyce Myerson. [McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion, Vol. 71.] (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. 2014. Pp. 432. $75.00. ISBN 978-0-7735-4412-3.)
The Cistercian Arts is a magnificent compilation of scholarship that is truly synoptic. Here the splendors of architecture and art, which have traditionally drawn the attention of scholars, can be seen and apprehended, but they also can be seen together across a vastly extended range of Cistercian creativity. The reader can explore medieval Cistercian churches as well as learn about medieval mills and granges. The scholar is introduced to manuscripts, and medieval sacra vasa and seals. Furthermore, this summa of Cistercian productivity extends geographical boundaries so that information and illustrations are provided on Cistercian architecture in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic regions. Above all, this synopsis allows the reader to see the entire field of Cistercian creation...