Visions of Heaven shows more than 120 images, including the Roman Pantheon, the Byzantine churches of Turkey, the great domes of the Renaissance, the decorative cupolas of the baroque and the rococo, and a nineteenth-century synagogue in Hungary. An informative essay by Victoria Hammond traces the fascinating history of the dome and its decoration, while Keith F. Davis examines Stephenson's work in the context of the idea of the sublime, creating a rich context for viewing these remarkable photographs.

There's an ethereal magic to standing beneath a dome, neck craned, looking up at a vision of the heavens created by some long-ago figure of genius. From the Pantheon to St. Paul's Cathedral, the power of the dome seems transcendent, captured here by photographer David Stephenson in his magnificently kaleidoscopic images of dome interiors.

Traveling from Italy to Spain, Portugal, Turkey, England,Germany, and Russia, among other countries, Stephenson photographed churches, palaces, mosques, and synagogues from the second to the early twentieth century, creating a veritable typology of the cupola. His images present complex geometrical structures, rich stucco decorations, and elaborate frescoes as they have never before been seen. Brilliantly calibrated exposures reveal details and colors that would otherwise remain hidden in these dimly lit spaces.

Visions of Heaven shows more than 120 images, including the Roman Pantheon, the Byzantine churches of Turkey, the great domes of the Renaissance, the decorative cupolas of the baroque and the rococo, and a nineteenth-century synagogue in Hungary. An informative essay by Victoria Hammond traces the fascinating history of the dome and its decoration, while Keith F. Davis examines Stephenson's work in the context of the idea of the sublime, creating a rich context for viewing these remarkable photographs.

Admiration and Awe David Stephenson and the Photographic Sublime

by Keith F. Davis

I.

Classical, Byzantine, Islamic,Romanesque, and Gothic Architecture

II.

The Renaissance

III.

The Baroque in Southern and Western Europe

IV.

The Baroque and Rococo in Central and Eastern Europe

V.

The Nineteenth Century

The Dome in European Architecture

by Victoria Hammond

Bibliography