Really interesting Sandro Magister article on a history of art in Italy and its author:

The author of this revolutionary trilogy – the first to introduce forcefully the liturgy as a criterion for understanding Christian art – is an American living in Italy, Timothy Verdon.

Verdon, 60, trained as an art historian at Yale University, was ordained a priest in 1994 in the diocese of Florence, where he directs the office for catechesis through art. He teaches at Stanford University, and at the Theological Faculty of Central Italy.

He is the author of many essays on Christian art, which www.chiesa has covered in a variety of articles linked below.

At the last synod of bishops, celebrated in Rome in October of 2005 and dedicated to the Eucharist, Verdon was one of those invited by Benedict XVI.

There is profound agreement between him and pope Joseph Ratzinger on how to interpret Christian art and propose it to the faithful, and in general to the men of our time.

It was not by accident that Benedict XVI wanted to accompany the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – published at the beginning of his pontificate – with images of sacred art that he had chosen personally.

The three volumes of which Verdon is the architect and the main author – above all, of the one dedicated to the Renaissance, the period that he has mastered – are so far available only in Italian. But they are worthy of being translated into other languages as soon as possible.

They also have importance outside of the strictly artistic sphere. Verdon writes in the introduction to the first volume:

“In the Europe of legalized abortion, and which is considering the admissibility of euthanasia, images typical of the Christian tradition such as the ‘Madonna and Child’ or ‘Christ on the cross’ rattle consciences, insisting with quiet strength upon the irreplaceable value of life, and even of suffering life.”

These volumes have, moreover, the objective of forming the future commissioners of churches, paintings, sculptures – in short, of generating a fruitful new age of Christian art.