"Eden or Paradise, that place of great or perfect happiness and satisfaction, is an ideal that is still sought today. It resonates across time and cultures, charged with both political and environmental concerns. Picturing Eden offers a rare opportunity to view the work of contemporary photographers who examine the many facets of paradise, from a place of contemplation and restoration, to a site of loneliness and despair. Organized in four sections - Paradise Lost, Paradise Reconstructed, Despairing of Paradise, and Paradise Anew - Picturing Eden explores the development and changing styles of the garden and concepts of paradise. By looking at the notion of paradise and the garden through the photographic lens, the book highlights the original lost innocence, the ongoing significance of a humanistic, culturally charged environment, and its place in the history of art."--Publisher's website.