The Hidden and the Revealed; The Queen Esther Mosaics of Lilian Broca

A stunning art book, but far more. In addition to glittering reproductions, details and working drawings of the ten mammoth pieces in this award-winning series about Esther of the Bible, the book features the artist's own story, illuminating her journey from war-torn Romania to Israel to Canada, what drew her to Esther and mosaics as a medium, and how she employed ancient techniques with a contemporary sensibility. An art historian provides a chapter comparing Broca's interpretation of Esther to that of such past artists as Rembrandt and Artemisia Gentileschi. The book finishes with a provocative, lyrical prose-poem written in the imagined voice of Esther by a prominent rabbi and scholar. An appendix provides the full text of Esther in beautiful calligraphed Hebrew with an accompanying English translation.