Saturday, January 28, 2012

Book cover image for One Body?

Notre Dame University Press sent me an email asking if I have any ideas for a cover image for my One Body: An Essay in Christian Sexual Ethics. I don't. But perhaps one of my worthy readers does. Any suggestions? Suggestions should be family friendly. Public domain is preferable, of course.

If I follow your image recommendation, I'll give you a one year's free Pro membership to instructables.com, as a very small token of my gratitude.

Please post any suggestions in comments. Thank you.

10 comments:

Alexander R Pruss said...

[I am posting this for Bryce. -ARP]

For some reason I couldn't post my comment on your blog. So here's my suggestion for cover art;

Perhaps something that would evoke Jesus' statement to the Pharisees on divorce, รก la Matthew 19?

http://www.joyfulheart.com/easter/images-tissot/tissot-the-pharisees-question-jesus-744x492.jpg

Of course there must be oodles of images where Jesus addresses the Pharisees, but that's my best idea.

Sincerely,
Bryce

Adrian Woods said...

Do you connect your sexual ethics with Eucharist or Ecclesiology (two other notions of Body)?

Kara said...

May seem like a strange suggestion, but what about something a bit more modern which shows the difficulty of dealing with the problems of real people. Something like Nuclear Couple by Gretchen Bender....

Alexander R Pruss said...

One problem with modern stuff is that the author is responsible for the copyright costs of the cover image if the author picks it.

Gorod said...

I suggest this, if you like the stlye:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-16SD85-ltBc/Tr_oHvnUgJI/AAAAAAABin8/j5cjercPm7g/s1600/Edvard%2BMunch%252C%2BKiss%2Bon%2Bthe%2BBeach%252C%2B1921.jpg

I love Munch but most of his work is a bit disturbing and would probably look to gloomy on your cover. But it's a pity because he has many "kiss" paintings where he tries precisely to show man and woman indistinctely as if they where one thing, one body.

This one has nice colours, though. I hope it's not under copyright.

Alexander R Pruss said...

I do like that one a lot. While out of copyright in the U.S., it is in copyright in Europe, though. I don't know what kinds of issues that would create for my publisher.

Sarraclab said...

What about something of Adam and Eve?

"The first family" by Cornelis van Haarlem: http://tinyurl.com/77wpyfl

Or...

"Adam and Eve" by Gustav Klimt: http://tinyurl.com/7d8k6mw

I'm not sure if those are what you'd classify as "family friendly" though.

Gorod said...

Let me try another suggestion...

There is a beautiful sculpture by Auguste Rodin that I saw in the Modern Art wing of the Vatican Museums. I believe there are copies elsewhere (in Paris), some in white marble, some in dark metal (bronze?).

It is called "The Creation" or "The Hands of God" and it is round, like a ball of primordial clay in the Hands of God, forming man and woman, who appear intertwined in a sort of whirlwind.

Of course it is much harder for a cover designer to use a picture of a sculpture... but the concept seems right for the book and a white marble image makes the nudes a lot easier to fit your family-friendly requirement.

Alli said...

I saw some Klimt (knockoffs) the other day, and it made me think of your search for a cover. "Adam and Eve" is a little much, but "The Kiss" is okay. (Though maybe a little cliche?)
Alli

John Smith said...
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