Western art from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century; Art Needs No Justification; Miscellaneous articles and reviews.

Was Pieter Bruegel the Elder a gnostic? Is that why Jesus is often reduced to an insignificant detail in his paintings? Why do we call seventeenth-century Dutch art the 'golden age' of Christian art? These and similar questions about Western art are addressed in this volume, in which we come to know Rookmaaker not primarily as a cultural critic or an enthusiastic encourager of Christian artists but first and foremost as art historian. Rookmaaker's expert knowledge leads the way to an appreciation of the beauty and artistic eloquence of many a work of art as he guides the reader into an understanding of its content and meaning, and of its place in Western history. The rest of this volume is devoted to Rookmaaker's writings on Christianity and art. In these he protests the lack of artistic involvement by the church and affirms his deep conviction that art is offered to people not as a medium for conveying a message but as a life-enriching gift from a creative God.