The Art of Scripture
Featuring the Words of the King James Bible and 100 Paintings from the National Gallery Collection
Foreword by
Andrew Marr
A beautifully presented anthology of famous scenes and timeless wisdom from the King James Bible, featuring 100 masterpieces from the National Gallery, London
In stock
ISBN-13
9781739417857-grouped
From £15.99
The National Gallery (Author)
The National Gallery in London has been bringing people and paintings together for more than two hundred years. It rightfully holds an unrivalled position as a gallery for all the people, while the King James Bible has for more than four hundred years held its place as a sacred text that everyone can read and enjoy. A gallery for all and a Bible for all.
Philip Law (In-House Editor)
Philip Law is Publishing Director for SPCK and Lion Books. His previous books include The One Hour Bible (SPCK, 2018), A Time to Pray: 365 classic prayers to help you through the year (Lion, 2002) and The SPCK Book of Christian Prayer (SPCK/Crossroad, 1995/ 2009). He is also a contributor to the 6th edition of The Lion Handbook to the Bible (Lion, 2025).
The National Gallery in London has been bringing people and paintings together for more than two hundred years. It rightfully holds an unrivalled position as a gallery for all the people, while the King James Bible has for more than four hundred years held its place as a sacred text that everyone can read and enjoy. A gallery for all and a Bible for all.
Philip Law (In-House Editor)
Philip Law is Publishing Director for SPCK and Lion Books. His previous books include The One Hour Bible (SPCK, 2018), A Time to Pray: 365 classic prayers to help you through the year (Lion, 2002) and The SPCK Book of Christian Prayer (SPCK/Crossroad, 1995/ 2009). He is also a contributor to the 6th edition of The Lion Handbook to the Bible (Lion, 2025).
'To place so much great art back in its original narrative setting is a great and useful thing; it will inspire many "ah yes!" revelations. More, to have these stories in the words of the King James Bible, one the greatest masterpieces of English prose, produces a volume which (like a good gallery) is to be lingered over and revisited time and time again.'
"In a beautiful fusion of sacred text and visual masterpiece, The Art of Scripture offers a resonant new way to experience the Bible through the lens of Western art"
About
From the majesty of Genesis to the mystery of Revelation, the Bible contains some of the world's most powerful stories and sublime wisdom. It is also the inspiration for some of the greatest pictures ever painted.
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Moses and the exodus from Egypt, Samson betrayed by Delilah, David slaying Goliath, the beauty of Bathsheba, the wisdom of Solomon: these are among the dramatic scenes and memorable characters in the Old Testament, portrayed here by artists such as Poussin, Rembrandt and Rubens.
In the New Testament, the figure of Jesus takes centre stage, with his compelling parables and miracles depicted by artists such as Caravaggio, Duccio, El Greco, Raphael, Titian and Velazquez.
Together, these words and paintings convey a profound sense of the sacred. Both may go back many hundreds of years, and yet they still have the power to move and inspire us today.
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Moses and the exodus from Egypt, Samson betrayed by Delilah, David slaying Goliath, the beauty of Bathsheba, the wisdom of Solomon: these are among the dramatic scenes and memorable characters in the Old Testament, portrayed here by artists such as Poussin, Rembrandt and Rubens.
In the New Testament, the figure of Jesus takes centre stage, with his compelling parables and miracles depicted by artists such as Caravaggio, Duccio, El Greco, Raphael, Titian and Velazquez.
Together, these words and paintings convey a profound sense of the sacred. Both may go back many hundreds of years, and yet they still have the power to move and inspire us today.
Author
The National Gallery (Author)
The National Gallery in London has been bringing people and paintings together for more than two hundred years. It rightfully holds an unrivalled position as a gallery for all the people, while the King James Bible has for more than four hundred years held its place as a sacred text that everyone can read and enjoy. A gallery for all and a Bible for all.
Philip Law (In-House Editor)
Philip Law is Publishing Director for SPCK and Lion Books. His previous books include The One Hour Bible (SPCK, 2018), A Time to Pray: 365 classic prayers to help you through the year (Lion, 2002) and The SPCK Book of Christian Prayer (SPCK/Crossroad, 1995/ 2009). He is also a contributor to the 6th edition of The Lion Handbook to the Bible (Lion, 2025).
The National Gallery in London has been bringing people and paintings together for more than two hundred years. It rightfully holds an unrivalled position as a gallery for all the people, while the King James Bible has for more than four hundred years held its place as a sacred text that everyone can read and enjoy. A gallery for all and a Bible for all.
Philip Law (In-House Editor)
Philip Law is Publishing Director for SPCK and Lion Books. His previous books include The One Hour Bible (SPCK, 2018), A Time to Pray: 365 classic prayers to help you through the year (Lion, 2002) and The SPCK Book of Christian Prayer (SPCK/Crossroad, 1995/ 2009). He is also a contributor to the 6th edition of The Lion Handbook to the Bible (Lion, 2025).
Reviews
'To place so much great art back in its original narrative setting is a great and useful thing; it will inspire many "ah yes!" revelations. More, to have these stories in the words of the King James Bible, one the greatest masterpieces of English prose, produces a volume which (like a good gallery) is to be lingered over and revisited time and time again.'
"In a beautiful fusion of sacred text and visual masterpiece, The Art of Scripture offers a resonant new way to experience the Bible through the lens of Western art"
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Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Moses and the exodus from Egypt, Samson betrayed by Delilah, David slaying Goliath, the beauty of Bathsheba, the wisdom of Solomon: these are among the dramatic scenes and memorable characters in the Old Testament, portrayed here by artists such as Poussin, Rembrandt and Rubens.
In the New Testament, the figure of Jesus takes centre stage, with his compelling parables and miracles depicted by artists such as Caravaggio, Duccio, El Greco, Raphael, Titian and Velazquez.
Together, these words and paintings convey a profound sense of the sacred. Both may go back many hundreds of years, and yet they still have the power to move and inspire us today.