Crusader Art: The Art of the Crusaders in the Holy Land, 1099 - 1291

The Crusades began as expeditions called by the Pope to regain the Holy Land and liberate oppressed Christians living there. One of the least known aspects of the Crusades is the art that was commissioned by Crusaders in the Holy Land from the time they took Jerusalem in July 1099 to their defeat by the Mamluks in 1291. This book focuses on the full range of Crusader painting (manuscript illumination, frescos, mosaics, and icon painting) to tell the fascinating story of the development of Crusader art. Jaroslav Folda, a leading expert in the field, identifies Crusader art as a remarkable Near Eastern phenomenon made by Crusader artists resident and trained in the East. Explaining the major artistic trends that emerged from the Greek East and the Latin West, the author suggests that Crusader art played a significant role in transmitting the Byzantinizing tradition of the maniera greca to Italy and Europe up until the end of the 13th century.This assertion leads to the important conclusion that Crusader art had an influence on artistic developments leading up to the early stages of the Italian Renaissance. "Crusader Art" is the first book to illustrate a wide range of important works of Crusader art in color, including surviving architectural examples, works of sculpture, mosaics, frescoes,manuscripts, icons, ivory carvings, metalwork, and coins. It will be essential reading for scholars, students, travelers to the Near East, and enthusiasts alike. "Why have an illustrated book on Crusader art?" "What is Crusader art?" Phase one of Crusader art The Christian Holy sites and the Crusader states in Syria-Palestine, 1099-1187 Phase two of Crusader art Crusader art in new locations and changed circumstances, 1187-1250 Phase three of Crusader art The climax of Crusader painting, 1250-1291 Crusader art and its impact on the West. This work tells the story of Crusader art, focusing on the full range of Crusader painting (manuscript illumination, frescos, mosaics and icon painting) as providing the most significant continuous surviving evidence for the development of Crusader art Explores the full range of art commissioned by the Crusaders in the Holy Land from 1099-1291. Includes manuscript illumination, frescoes, mosaics, icon painting, sculpture, metalwork.