The Empire of Death by Paul Koudounaris
The sites in this specially photographed and brilliantly original study range from the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Palermo, where the living would visit mummified or skeletal remains and lovingly dress them; to the Paris catacombs; to fantastic bone-encrusted creations in Austria, Cambodia, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and elsewhere Paul Koudounaris photographed more than seventy sites for this book. He analyzes the role of these remarkable memorials within the cultures that created them, as well as the mythology and folklore that developed around them, and skillfully traces a remarkable human endeavor.
'The extraordinary displays of human bones in Europe’s charnel houses may now seem utterly bewildering to us, but 'The Empire of Death' reveals fascinating insights into these misunderstood religious monuments' - Metro
'Impressive and readable … an excellent memento mori for our age and a work which is the result of considerable endeavour by the author' - The Historical Association
'Death can be so beautifulThat’s what comes over most powerfully in this cultural history of charnel houses ... Many of the buildings are closed to the public, making reading the book feel rather like a date with destiny' - Time Out London
'Well written, richly referenced and contains some cracking quotes … the book is imbued with a timeless, classy appeal … If you’re into art, history, culture, eschatology or are just plain weird then you will be impressed by this beautiful book' - The Royal College of Pathologists Bulletin
'Impressive and readable … an excellent memento mori for our age and a work which is the result of considerable endeavour by the author' - The Historical Association
'Death can be so beautifulThat’s what comes over most powerfully in this cultural history of charnel houses ... Many of the buildings are closed to the public, making reading the book feel rather like a date with destiny' - Time Out London
'Well written, richly referenced and contains some cracking quotes … the book is imbued with a timeless, classy appeal … If you’re into art, history, culture, eschatology or are just plain weird then you will be impressed by this beautiful book' - The Royal College of Pathologists Bulletin
Paul Koudounaris has a doctorate in Art History from the University of California and has written widely on European ossuaries and charnel houses for both academic and popular journals.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780500251782 |
| ISBN 10 | 0500251789 |
| Title | The Empire of Death |
| Author | Paul Koudounaris |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Thames & Hudson Ltd |
| Year published | 2011-10-03 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |