On June 27, 2023, a new book by assistant professor of art history Gregory Bryda, The Trees of the Cross: Wood as Subject and Medium in the Art of Late Medieval Germany, was published by Yale University Press.
In addition to being an essential part of the society’s local environment and economy, Bryda explains, wood was also an object of religious importance in late medieval Germany. Wood was considered a valuable material associated with agrarian life and stood as a symbol of the cross. In The Trees of the Cross, he shows how the versatility of wood enabled influential artists of the time, such as Matthias Grünewald and Tilman Riemenschneider, to draw powerful connections between spirituality and day-to-day life lived outside of the church.
In his research, Bryda explores captivating works of religious art, ranging from monumental altarpieces to portable pictures. His book provides an in-depth examination of the unique significance of one of the most ubiquitous resources in the world.
The Trees of the Cross was recently reviewed by art critic Peter Saenger for The Wall Street Journal, who discussed how Bryda surveys the masterpieces in the book, including the 13-foot-tall "Whipping Post.”