Freemasonry and the Visual Arts from the Eighteenth Century Forward

Explicating the vast network of interconnections between Freemasonry and the visual arts in multiple societies from the 18th century onward, this book is an invaluable resource of information and analysis. Wolf and Luxenberg have gathered a series of brilliantly insightful essays. * Edward J. Sullivan, Helen Gould Shepard Professor of the History of Art, New York University, USA *
This is a much-needed book on an important subject. The links between freemasonry and the visual arts are many, but their scope has not been fully appreciated. Freemasonry and the Visual Arts from the Eighteenth Century Forward demonstrates how freemasonic symbols and ideas permeate a wide range of visual products, from architecture and urban planning to paintings and porcelain, and how freemasonry's influence can be detected in settings far from the lodges themselves. The book presents a global perspective on its subject, offering essays on Portugal, Iran, and Haiti alongside the better-studied settings of Britain and the United States. It likewise offers models for analyzing fragmentary or hidden historical experiences. Freemasonry and the Visual Arts suggests that art offers opportunities to tap into histories that otherwise would remain lost to us. * Michael Yonan, Professor of Art History, University of Missouri, USA *
The enormously rich visual culture generated by Freemasonry has not received the attention it deserves from art historians. This pioneering collection of essays provides fascinating and tantalising illustrations of the rich artistic legacy of Freemasonry in many different countries ranging from Europe and America to Haiti, Iran and India across media including paintings, prints, metalwork, jewellery, ceramics and architecture. * Andrew Prescott, Professor of Digital Humanities, University of Glasgow, Scotland *