From his own day (he died in 1153) throughout the Middle Ages Bernard has been portrayed in paintings, manuscript illuminations, wooden and stone carvings, and stained glass windows. Both Bernard’s reputation and the characteristic piety of the artists are revealed in the depictions. A CD image-index of medieval portrayals accompanies the book of this influential saint.

After a career in business, James France returned to a love of the Cistercian tradition enkindled at Oxford University. His previous research has been published in The Cistercians in Scandinavia, and Cistercians in Medieval Art. This latest international research was done as part of his doctoral research at the University of Roskilde.