The Quiet Eye: A Way of Looking at Pictures

I was lucky enough to be introduced to this book by a friend who gifted it to me. Now I keep a stock of these books to give whenever the moment is right. The juxtaposition of quotations and images is perfection. Whatever I'm feeling, I know that a read through "The Quiet Eye" will make me feel better.

This is one of my favorite books and I often give it to friends. Each page depicts a work of art together with a famous quotation. The peace and quiet atmosphere of the book is attributable perhaps to its Quaker origins. A lovely and elegant work of art in itself.

This small book is so beautiful that it passes into the word "sacred." It doesn't do it justice to describe it briefly as a small book with photos of works of art (painting, sculpture, etc) on one side of the page, and a small quote from scripture or poetry, etc on the facing page. Each pair of art/quote is placed before us so that it may be a portal to meditation and conversation with God. In a way, it is an experiential course in lectio divina. This book is presented from a Quaker perspective, but is, of course, relevant to all Christian (and, really, other) faiths. A collection of this sort could easily have been banal; this one is not. It is a very deep and beautiful collection. I highly recommend it to anyone. It also makes a great gift.

I have had this book for many years and still return to it for the peace and gentle guidance that come from the carefully chosen quotations. The images complement the quotations in interesting ways and are lovely in and of themselves. This book makes a warm and thoughtful gift for someone whose happiness you truly care about--without spending a fortune, you'll be giving something very much worth keeping.

This small, short book is great to have around for odd moments when you need a little tranquillity and beauty. Emphasizes the peaceful and meditative in Western and a little bit of Eastern Art.