Tag Archive for 'art'

Breathtaking book by David Stephenson and Victoria Hammond. To view many more images go to Julie Saul Gallery and be sure to click on the view images link.

Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture
David Stephenson , Victoria Hammond

“There’s an ethereal magic to standing beneath a dome, neck craned, looking up at a vision of the heavens created by some long-ago figure of genius. From the Pantheon to the Hagia Sophia, the power of the dome seems transcen-dent. Photographer David Stephenson’s magnificently kaleidoscopic images of dome interiors capture this evanescent drama, and make Visions of Heaven one of the most spectacularly beautiful books we’ve ever produced.

Traveling from Italy to Spain, Turkey, England, Germany, and Russia, among other countries, and photographing churches, palaces, mosques, and synagogues from the second to the early twentieth century, Stephenson’s work amounts to a veritable typology of the cupola. His images present complex geometrical structures, rich stucco decorations, and elaborate paintings as they have never been seen before. Brilliantly calibrated exposures reveal details and colors that would otherwise remain hidden in these dimly lit spaces.”

{via papress}