Rita Wood, Paradise: The World of Romanesque Sculpture. York: Theopilus Publishing, 2017, viii, 220 pp., 216 b/w and color figures.

Abstract

This magnificent study by Rita Wood (<uri href="www.rwromanesque.co.uk">www.rwromanesque.co.uk</uri>) provides a major overview of Romanesque sculptures, especially in capitals in English and Continental churches, focusing on the presentation of Paradise in its many different features. This is accompanied by a wealth of excellent photos, many of which allow us to close in onto those sculptures even better than with the naked eye. This does not always work, however, such as in the case of Oloron Sainte-Marie, where the photo is much too small to recognize details. Wood offers detailed discussions and interpretations, which often prove to be a challenge, as art historians have often confirmed especially for the Romanesque era. It is clear, as she emphasizes in the introduction, that the artists drew from a relatively firm list of icons or motifs, particularly human and animal bodies, all of which is not easy to interpret today.