Meditations on Love

Inspired by the profound spiritual nature of great art, Sister Wendy enjoys sharing her wisdom and insight. After years of silent contemplation, she now reveals to us the delightful aspects of love contained in art. With each piece of artwork, Sister Wendy shares her thoughts on how the symbols, facial expressions or scenes relate to love as we know it. Sister Wendy questions the art and wants us to decide if what we are seeing is really love or just an illusion. Is a bodily embrace love? Is giving flowers love? I think of all the things anyone has ever given to me, flowers are one of the most memorable. Who does not remember that first bunch of flowers? Yesterday, my husband came home with a dozen roses, which I was completely surprised by. To me, a bunch of flowers symbolizes the love my husband feels for me. Sister Wendy explains how in "Man Gives Woman Flowers" the grandfather clock in the picture symbolizes "time." The woman holds back and the man is leaning forward, symbolizing, he wants this relationship more than she does. This is perhaps something you would easily figure out on your own when viewing the picture. However, in "The Arnolfini Marriage" there is a delightful pair of shoes that symbolizes much more. "The Cradle" is perhaps the most beautiful picture in the book and shows a mother's love. "Love is both infinitely rewarding and endlessly demanding. The two aspects are inseparable." A beautiful book to give to someone you love. ~The Rebecca Review

Sister Wendy may seem a little on the corny side but this collection of artwork is amazing. Not only does she not emphasize on one era or movement of art she makes sure to include the famous with the not so well-known. These masterpieces re-ignite the belief in true love and the beauty of romance.

The book inspires the soul to love God and to love other people. In amazing ways, Sister Beckett shows the gift of artists to create love in their materpeices. One can look at the painting and see nothing untill he/she reads the meditation that opens up the world of love inside the paiting. It is amazing to see the creation of different kinds of love in the works of art that many people have seen before but could not figure out. The short and fascinating meditations create a glips of the world the way God intends it to be.