Early medieval (review)

250 Short notices of the world's budding masterpieces, a new study, more in keeping with the insights of the thinking of the last quarter century, is urgendy needed. Adrian Snodgrass Department of Architecture University of Sydney Henderson, George, Early medieval (Medieval Academy reprints for teaching No. 29), rpt University of Toronto Press, 1993; paper; pp. 272; 150 Ulustrations; R.R.P. CAN$19.95. First published in 1972, Early medieval was a readable and critical comparative treatment of early medieval art. More avowedly historical in focus than most studies in the samefield,the early chapters of this work, especially chapter four, "The uses of antiquity', firmly located the iconography of early medieval sacred art in the evolving historical discourse of late antiquity. It was also a rare work for not limiting its focus to tbe migration period and successor states—eschewing the German and Irish notions of a post-Roman 'golden age' and tracing the definite continuum of early medieval imagery into the early Romanesque. It synthesized more accessibly the material covered by Talbot-Rice's The Dark Ages and Lasko's Ars sacra. It is worthy enough of re-release, if only to remind the student of tbe value of an historical approach to art criticism. The 1993 reprint makes no changes to the text fhst published by Penguin in 1972. The illustrations, an integral part of Henderson's comparative method have, however, beenratherunfortunately darkened in tbe process of reproduction. Most remain legible; although, the reader will struggle to see the sculptures from Moissac (p. 91), and the fine detail on the Marmoutier sacramentary is totally lost (p. 117). Jonathan Wooding Department of History University of Sydney Mackie, J. D. The earlier Tudors 1485-1558, rpt Oxford and N.Y., Oxford University Press, 1994; paper; pp. xxii, 699; 7 maps; R.R.P. AUSS24.95. Mackie's history was acclaimed when itfirstappeared, forty years ago, as an excellent synthesis of current orthodoxy. Oxford's decision to produce a paperback edition illustrates just how much has been added to our knowledge ...