The Suffering Middle Ages

This book will tell how in Christian iconography the sacred intertwined with the comic, the monstrous, and the obscene. Much of what today seems like shocking blasphemy was quite acceptable during the Middle Ages, an era of almost universal religiosity. It will discuss monkeys in the margins of ancient texts, obscene figures on church walls, and saints in monstrous forms. Where did these images come from, and how are they related to the subsequent development of world art? The first Russian-language popular science text covering so many themes of medieval iconography is published at the initiative of 'The Suffering Middle Ages' - a community of history enthusiasts that has united almost half a million followers. More than 600 illustrations, a unique text, and a bit of humor - that's how one should talk about art.