James Hall

James Hall, who has died aged 89, was the author of Hall's Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art. First published in 1974 and still in print, it is regarded as perhaps the most comprehensive and authoritative reference book on the iconography of European art, while remaining eminently accessible to the layman. It has been translated into 12 languages. But Hall was not an art historian and had no academic background. For most of his working life he was the production manager of a publishing firm, JM Dent & Sons.

This second edition of noted art historian James Hall's classic dictionary of subjects and themes in Western art is a definitive work by which others will be compared. The book is also an indispensable tool for students and art appreciators who are looking to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of their viewing. Here in a single succinct volume are combined religious, classical, and historical themes, the figures of moral allegory, and characters from romantic poetry, all of which have been established through paintings and sculpture in Western art before and after the Renaissance. More than just a dictionary, this text places these subjects in their narrative, historical, or mythological context and uses extensive cross-referencing to enhance and clarify their meanings. This thoroughly redesigned second edition includes a new insert of sixteen images, hand-selected by the author to depict key themes in the book.