Adoration of the Magi (1680-1689) by Rybotychi School - Public Domain Orthodox Icon
Icon of the Adoration of the Magi by the Rybotychi school, made in the 1680s. It is held in the National Museum in Warsaw, Poland.
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Plaque with the Descent from the Cross (1320-1340) - Public Domain Catholic Stock Photo
The ivory figures are mounted on a sheet of whalebone. This plaque is part of a series of Passion carvings that are now dispersed among Antwerp, Oslo, Paris, London, and New York. French, elephant ivory with traces of paint and gilding, 23.2 x 18.3 cm.
Virgin and Child (1437-1439) by Rossello di Jacopo Franchi - Public Domain Catholic Painting
In his left hand the Christ Child holds a swallow. Swallows were thought to hibernate during winter in nests of mud. Their re-emergence in spring symbolized the Resurrection of Christ.
Top 12 Orders of Catholic Nuns and Sisters
This is a list of my favorite 12 orders of Catholic nuns and sisters in no particular order. This list includes their history, and images of their habits. What is a Catholic Nun or Sister? In the Roman Catholic tradition, there are many religious institutes of nuns and sisters (the...
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Learn the purpose of The Free Catholic Gallery with this short blog.
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Top selling books published by Shalone Cason.
Adoration of the Magi (17th century) - Public Domain Orthodox Icon
Icon of the Adoration of the Magi from the middle of the 17th century, from the Sambir region of Ukraine. It is in a private collection.
Adoration of the Magi (16th century) - Public Domain Orthodox Icon
Icon of the Adoration of the Magi from the middle of the 16th century, from the village of Busovysko. It is held in the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, Ukraine.
Spanish Translation of Saint Augustine's "City of God" (1446-1482) by Cano de Aranda - Public Domain Catholic Stock Photo
This volume is one of three containing the complete Spanish translation from the Latin of Saint Augustine’s City of God (De Civitate Dei), written in the early fifth century, after the sack of Rome by the Visigoths. Augustine, bishop of Hippo in North Africa, developed the concept of the Church as a
Manuscript Illumination with the Descent from the Cross, from a Book of Hours (15th century) - Public Domain Catholic Painting
North French illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours showing the Descent from the Cross, made in the late 15th century. Tempera, ink, and shell gold on parchment, 8.7 x 6.9 cm.
Medallion with Saint John the Evangelist from an Icon Frame (1100) - Public Domain Orthodox Stock Photo
This medallion is one of a group of twelve that once surrounded an icon of the archangel Gabriel. The medallions may have been sent as a gift from the Byzantine court to the neighboring Christian state of Georgia. Byzantine gold, silver, and cloisonné enamel, made in Constantinople, diameter 8.3 cm.
Jaharis Byzantine Lectionary (1100) - Public Domain Orthodox Stock Photo
Illuminated manuscripts written in Greek were considered one of the greatest art forms by the highly literate and sophisticated clerical and secular elite of Byzantium. Over the centuries many works were commissioned for use in important churches. The calendar in this lectionary and the quality of t
The Christ Child with Saints Boris and Gleb (No date) - Public Domain Orthodox Icon
Small Russian icon of the Christ Child with Saints Boris and Gleb. Tempera and gold on wood in a gold and enamel frame studded with jewels; the icon with its frame measures 11.1 x 10.2 cm.
Manuscript Leaf with the Holy Communion, from a Book of Hours (1500) - Public Domain Catholic Painting
The rubric at the top tells us that the prayers that follow are to be said before and after Communion. Therefore, the artist portrayed a priest administering the sacrament to a man in a fur-trimmed cloak, presumably the owner of the manuscript. The man, whose family arms appear on the adjacent leaf,
Intaglio with Saint Theodore Teron Slaying a Many-Headed Dragon (1300) - Public Domain Orthodox Stock Photo
Theodore Teron (the recruit) was one of several soldier-martyrs whose cults were enormously popular in the later centuries of the Byzantine Empire. This intaglio illustrates Theodore’s miraculous slaying of a dragon. The image reflects the revival of classical culture that took place in Byzantium in
Cameo of the Virgin and Child (1050-1100) - Public Domain Orthodox Stock Photo
This delicately carved cameo shows the Virgin in an orant pose, with her arms upraised, and a medallion of the Christ Child over her chest. This icon type is often called the Blachernitissa after a famous icon at the Blachernai Monastery in Constantinople. Byzantine agate cameo, probably made in Con
Sculpture of Moses with Tablets of the Law (1170) - Public Domain Catholic Stock Photo
This sculpture of Moses, holding the tablets with the Ten Commandments, and the opposite figure, his brother Aaron, form part of a rare ensemble of key figures from the Hebrew Bible. Often shown together on Gothic portals as forerunners of Jesus, they and other statues originally flanked an enthrone
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1447-1469) by Workshop of Fra Filippo Lippi - Public Domain Catholic Painting
This painting and another depicting an unidentified male saint, which also belongs to the Lehman Collection, formed part of a group of eighteen panels depicting saints (now in the Courtauld Institute Gallery, London; Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts; Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Hon
Panel with the Crucifixion of the Good Thief (16th century) - Public Domain Catholic Stock Photo
Until 1950 this panel lined the Great Hall of Highcliffe Castle in southern England. Constructed in the 1830s for Lord Stuart de Rothesay, the castle was furnished in part with stonework acquired form the ruined royal abbey at Jumièges in Normandy, where the panels might also have originated. In all
Relief of the Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus (1264-1288) - Public Domain Catholic Stock Photo
Four key events in the final hours of Jesus’ life are dramatically shown here (from left to right): Peter sheathing his sword after severing the ear of Malchus (seated), the high priest’s servant; Jesus miraculously restoring the ear; Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss; and Roman soldiers arresting J
Wall Painting of Male Saint (12th century) - Public Domain Orthodox Icon
The largest of these fresco fragments may represent the late fourth-century saint John Chrysostom, who is usually depicted with a pointed beard, sunken cheeks, and a high forehead. Byzantine fresco with modern restoration, 24 x 23.7 cm.
The Flagellation (1400) by Master of the Berswordt Altar - Public Domain Catholic Painting
These panels were among thirty scenes of an extensive narrative cycle that formed part of a large altarpiece from the Neustädter Marienkirche in Bielefeld, Westphalia. They were created two decades before panel painting underwent a revolution through the art of Jan van Eyck, Robert Campin, and Rogie
Madonna and Child with Angels (1445-1450) by Sassetta - Public Domain Catholic Painting
Sassetta worked for a wealthy clientele, executing a limited number of paintings that focus on material splendor and refined detail. The glittering effect created by his technique of scratching into the painted surface to reveal the gold layer beneath—seen in passages like the angels’ wings and garm
Saints Matthew and Francis (1435) by Giovanni di Paolo - Public Domain Catholic Painting
The moody, unfiltered emotions of Saints Matthew and Francis showcase Giovanni’s interest in depicting strongly expressive figures. The artist found inspiration for his implacable saints in the sculpture of his great compatriot Jacopo della Quercia. These two figures are from a major altarpiece. A s
The Annunciation (1500-1510) by Maestro Esiguo - Public Domain Catholic Painting
Italian tempera and gold on wood painting of the Annunciation, attributed to Maestro Esiguo (possibly Alesso di Benozzo). The painted surface measures 40.6 x 36 cm.
Christ Bearing the Cross (No date) by Nicolaos Tzafouris - Public Domain Orthodox Icon
Nicholaos Tzafouris was one of the many icon painters working in the city of Candia (now Iraklion) in Crete at the time when Crete was under the control of Venice. The combination of Byzantine and Latin elements seen in many Cretan icons was well received locally and in Italy. The Greek inscription
Five Benedictine saints: Saint Benedict, Saint Scholastica, Saint Justina, Saint Maurus, and Saint Placidus (1800-1899) by Anna Jameson - Public Domain Catholic Painting
Illustration of five Benedictine saints (Saint Benedict, Saint Scholastica, Saint Justina, Saint Maurus, and Saint Placidus) by Anna Jameson, from the Wellcome Collection.
Jesus Before Caiaphas, from The Small Passion (1624/31) by Jacques Callot - Public Domain Catholic Painting
Jacques Callot’s etching series The Small Passion exemplifies the artist’s penchant for intimate detail. These prints highlight the ways he depicted space throughout a complete narrative. He framed each stage of the Passion of Christ with a different type of architectural or natural element. The por
Altarpiece with Scenes of the Infancy of Christ (15th century) - Public Domain Catholic Stock Photo
This altarpiece is said to have come from the convent of the Ursulines in Amiens, France. North French or South Netherlandish, polychromed and gilded limestone, 48.3 x 48.3 cm.
Manuscript Leaf with the Assumption of the Virgin in an Initial V, from an Antiphonary (1340) by Niccolò di ser Sozzo - Public Domain Catholic Painting
The Assumption of the Virgin, celebrated on August 15, is an especially important holiday in Siena. Niccolò di ser Sozzo, one of the city's renowned fourteenth-century illuminators, painted it on numerous occasions. Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment, 57.5 x 40.4 cm.
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