Free downloadable Catholic paintings which are in the public domain
One of the largest surviving depictions of the Annunciation, this imposing painting was most likely commissioned by Ferry de Clugny, whose family coat of arms—the two joined keys—decorates the carpet and stained-glass window. In 1465, Ferry founded the Chapelle Dorée as his burial site in the Saint-
Saint Gregory was a late 6th-century pope and one of the fathers of the early Roman Church. This painting depicts the popular legend in which Gregory once overheard an onlooker express doubts about Christ's actual presence at the altar during mass. In response, the saint's immense faith was rewarded
Saint Andrew's efforts to introduce Christianity to Greece in the first century CE were met with hostility from local authorities, and he was sentenced to die on the cross because he refused to acknowledge pagan gods. For two days, Andrew preached from his martyr's station to an increasingly sympath
This painting is a rare surviving example of distemper, a water-based medium, on canvas. The artist was active both in his native Ghent, in modern Belgium, and at the refined court in Urbino, Italy. The Adoration takes place on an unusually grand porch with ancient Roman architecture and domestic dw
Lorenzetti imbued this familiar biblical subject with a new sense of pathos and dramatic intensity. Details such as the piercing of Christ's side with a spear, the breaking of the legs of the thieves, and the Virgin swooning into the arms of her companions ensure an emotional response from the viewe
Memling adapted this composition from a large, celebrated altarpiece that he completed in 1479 for the Sint-Janshospitaal in Bruges. This smaller, more modest version was commissioned by an unidentified donor who kneels at the left, shown reciting his rosary as he contemplates Saint Catherine's myst
On the eve of the Battle of Montaperti in 1260, the Tuscan town of Siena was dedicated to the Virgin; Siena's miraculous victory the following day confirmed its status as the "City of the Virgin" and inspired fervent devotion among its citizens. Marian imagery flourished, and many altarpieces compri
These wood panels were once wings for a portable triptych that could close, hiding the now-missing center panel. Rather than flat wooden supports that were then framed, these panels are examples of "engaged frames," in which the same piece of wood has been carved to create both the pictorial surface
Exchanging affectionate glances with her squirming son, the Virgin has a crown and halo designating her as queen of heaven. Combining the courtly elegance of French painting and the spatial innovations of Italian art, this picture exemplifies the heights attained under Charles IV (1316-1378), Holy R
Saint Lawrence is shown enthroned, his feet resting on the grill on which he was martyred, flanked by Saints Cosmas and Damian, whose cult was closely associated with the powerful Medici family. The imagery reflects the political allegiances of Alessandro Alessandri (1391-1460), who commissioned it
This resplendent and well-preserved panel portrays the Virgin handing the Christ Child a pomegranate, a symbol of the Resurrection. The painting may once have belonged to Pope Pius II Piccolomini, whose coat of arms is said to have formerly appeared on the back of the panel.
This small triptych is remarkable both for its preservation and for the fact that it is still intact; the spaces below the center panel were originally filled with small relics. The right wing shows events from the life of Christ leading up to the Flight into Egypt while the left shows events follow
These two scenes from the life of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, a thirteenth-century Augustinian priest, were part of the base (predella) of an altarpiece in the Muzzarelli chapel of the church of Sant'Andrea in Ferrara. They show two of the saint's miracles: reviving a child who had died before bein
Six other panels from this series are known; all were owned by the German painter and collector Johann Anton Ramboux in the nineteenth century, and together they formed either the predella or a row of figures above the main panels of an altarpiece. The figures are based on cartoons prepared by Simon
This important altarpiece was most likely painted for the church of Santo Stefano al Ponte, in Florence, by one of Giotto di Bondone's closest pupils. Originally the figures were shown on individually framed arched panels, as was traditional with Gothic altarpieces. A century and a half later the Go
This tempera and gold panel shows six of Christ's apostles standing in a row, each identifiable by his traditional attributes. It was painted by an unidentified Spanish painter working in Ona and is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This small picture illustrates the biblical passage in which a woman accused of adultery-an offense punishable by death in Mosaic law-is brought before Christ. He responds to her accusers with the words written across the top of the painting: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a s
An artist of incomparable fantasy and expressive power, Tura was court painter to the dukes of Ferrara. This scene depicts a weary Holy Family fleeing to Egypt after receiving a warning that King Herod was seeking to kill the infant Jesus. This roundel belongs to a series of three showing the early
In the top scene, Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (270-343)-the original "Saint Nick"-is shown throwing three balls of gold through a window, providing the dowry of three poverty-stricken maidens. In the other panel he resuscitates three youths who had been pickled by an innkeeper during a famine. Th
This tempera and gold panel depicts the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist, executed at the order of Herod as recounted in the Gospels. It was painted between 1430 and 1469 by an unidentified Catalan painter and is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A graceful Saint Michael is poised to deal a fatal blow to his monstrous opponent. Originally part of a larger ensemble, this painting was made in Italy by an artist inspired by the richness and refinement of Valencian art. The painter may have been associated with Gherardo Starnina (ca. 1360-1413),
This close-up portrait shows Christ crowned with thorns, gazing upward as he bears his cross, one of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. It was painted in 1513 by the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea Solario and is held in the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, France.
This panel shows the Resurrection of Christ, who stands triumphant above his tomb bearing a banner of victory while the soldiers guarding it sleep on, one of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. It is part of the inner right wing of the Wurzach Altarpiece, painted in 1437 by the German sculptor and
This close-up composition shows Christ bearing the cross on the road to Calvary, one of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Painted in oil on canvas around 1565 by the Venetian master Titian, it measures 67 by 77 cm and is held in the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.
