Envisioning Jacob's Ladder: Religion, Representation, and Allusion in American Visual Culture, 1750-2000
David M. Hummon, Professor and Chair of Anthropology and Sociology, College of the Holy Cross
Catalog: Published by the College of the Holy Cross, 2004. 55 pages, 12 black and white illustrations, 14 color.
Jacob's ladder - like the Garden of Eden, Noah's Ark and the Tower of Babel - can be counted among the oldest images of Western culture. Across the centuries, this story with its powerful image of a ladder to heaven has inspired interpretation in religious commentary and art. Using a rich selection of art and material culture, the catalog documents the history of the image from its European roots in colonial America to its varied rendering by contemporary artists.
To order a copy of the catalog, please send $10, plus $3 shipping and handling, to the address listed below. Checks should be made payable to the "College of the Holy Cross."
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery
College of the Holy Cross
1 College Street
Worcester, MA 01610-2395