The face : our human story

The face Our human story

Debra N. Mancoff, 1950-

Book - 2018

"The face is not only central to identity, but is also the primary vehicle for human expression, emotion, and character. It signifies intellect and power, is often regarded as a window into the soul, and is the focus of attention when individuals meet. How have different cultures depicted faces--whether a likeness or idealized; whether masked or revealed; whether newborn, in the prime of life, dying, or even deceased? Why has the depiction of the human face been so central to artistic expression in all world cultures? Art historian Debra Mancoff explores the depiction of the human face through the full range of objects and works of art in the collection of the British Museum, and she discovers how the face subtly conveys the full spect...rum of human emotion across continents and through the centuries. Arranged thematically (Birth and Childhood; Love and Beauty; Faith, Ritual, and Mythology; Rulers and Warfare; Identity and Disguise; Everyday Life; Death and the Afterlife), each of the book's chapters begins with a brief introduction before depicting faces in various pairings and groupings, offering insights into experiences that we all share as human beings."--Amazon.com.

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Subjects
British Museum.
Face in art.
Facial expression in art.
Face > Psychological aspects.
Portraits.
Genres
Portraits
Published
New York : Thames & Hudson Ltd 2018.
Language
English
Main Author
Debra N. Mancoff, 1950- (author)
Physical Description
303 pages : color illustrations ; 20 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (page 298) and index.
ISBN
9780500518625
  • Introduction
  • Birth & childhood
  • Love & beauty
  • Everyday life
  • Faith & ritual
  • Rulers & warfare
  • Identity & disguise
  • Death & the afterlife.
Review by Library Journal Review

The human face is small in proportion to the rest of the body but is a prominent aspect of our experience. The main receptors for senses are located around the face, and we often distinguish one person from another by this common human factor, which provides a means for expression that helps create a shared language among communities across the world. Art historian Mancoff (The Garden in Art) explores the human experience through the historical depiction of the face in art, positing seven universal themes that each highlight an aspect of this condition. Chapters begin with a short introduction of the theme and the artworks each contain a brief description. More than 300 color illustrations highlight a variety of mediums curated from the collections of the British Museum, with each artwork selected describing life from birth to death. The objects assembled in this work could be analyzed as a whole to help understand the human story as represented by the face. VERDICT Art scholars and artists will benefit from the carefully curated selection of art representing multiple facets of the human face.-Gary Medina, El Camino Coll., Torrance, CA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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