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Saint George’s legend was widespread throughout the Middle Ages. Warrior saints were particularly popular among the knightly class. Here Saint George is depicted as the consummate knight clad in gleaming plate armor as he slays the dragon, a symbol of evil. Such saints are frequently represented demonstrating their martial...
Ittenbach is considered one of the leading religious painters in 19th century Germany. A devout Roman Catholic, he traveled throughout Germany, painting altarpieces and artworks intended for church decoration. Popular among the German Catholic nobility, Ittenbach painted in a precise, realistic style influenced by Netherlandish and Italian Renaissance art, continuing...
1st Lt Raymond Siemet, Army Male Nurse, and the Mother Superior of the St. Elizabeths Orphanage, tour the site where a new dormitory for the children is being constructed. Members of the 3rd Field Hospital were supporting the Orphanage in the Village of Xom Moi, Gia Dinh section of Saigon....
This complex engraving depicts Christ's walk to Golgotha, the site of his Crucifixion. A crowd, depicted as violent and uncaring, moves across a rocky landscape. At the center of the procession, Christ has fallen under the weight of his huge cross. Martin Schongauer made Christ's gaze...
In 1754, King Louis XV of France sent the comte de Stainville (later duc de Choiseul) to Rome to secure a decision from Pope Benedict XIV about disputes concerning the authority of the French courts, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Jansenists, a Catholic sect. The result was an encyclical,...
Beer stein, or simply stein, is an English term for either traditional beer mugs made out of stoneware, or specifically ornamental beer mugs that are usually sold as souvenirs or collectibles. Such Steins may be made out of stoneware, pewter, porcelain, or even silver, wood or crystal glass; they may...
Jesus will come at the end of time to judge all human beings. This is called the parousia, His second coming (Acts 1:11). However, those who die before the parousia will be judged immediately at their deaths. This is known as the particular judgment (Hebrews 9:27). There are...
Isaac Lazarus Israëls (3 February 1865 – 7 October 1934) was a Dutch painter associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement. The son of Jozef Israëls, one of the most respected painters of the Hague School, and Aleida Schaap, Isaac Israëls displayed precocious artistic talent from an early age. Between 1880 and...
Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome, and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni)...
God the Father is the life-giver, the authority, and powerful protector, often viewed as immense, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent with infinite power and charity that goes beyond human understanding. God the Father is not a separate God from God the Son (of whom Jesus is the incarnation) and the Holy...
This manuscript was illuminated by a circle of at least five highly organized manuscript painters active in the Flemish cities of Ghent and Bruges. The principal illuminator was Alexander Bening, who painted the majority of the book's miniatures. Manuscripts produced by this circle of artists are renowned for...
The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica, informally known as Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic basilica located in Manila, Philippines, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines. The cathedral serves as the see of the Archbishop of Manila. Located...
The Apostle John was one of the "pillars" of the Jerusalem church after Jesus' death. He was one of the original twelve apostles and is thought to be the only one to have lived into old age and not be killed for his faith. It had been...
DID YOU KNOW? The crown worn by God in this painting resembles a papal tiara, last used by a Catholic pope in 1964. DESCRIPTION This vividly colored altarpiece was made in Antwerp, the center of religious learning in Catholic Flanders. In the mid-1500s when the Catholic Church mounted a...
Did you know today is my birthday?! Maybe not, but now you do! As a birthday gift to myself, I am hoping and praying that many many people–now and far into the future–will benefit spiritually from the images and descriptions I post here. You can help with my...
The smoke of burning incense is interpreted by both the Western Catholic and Eastern Christian churches as a symbol of the prayer of the faithful rising to heaven. Incense, in the form of pebbly grains or powder, is taken from what is called a "boat", and usually blessed...
Simon was surnamed the Zealot for his rigid adherence to the Jewish law and to the Canaanite law. He was one of the original followers of Christ. Western tradition is that he preached in Egypt and then went to Persia with St. Jude, where both suffered martyrdom. Another tradition states...
Grasping a gold plate holding John the Baptist’s severed head, young Salome presents this gruesome prize to her mother. Salome’s stepfather, King Herod, had granted her a wish after she danced for him at a banquet. Prompted by her mother, she asked for John’s head. John had...
In the Roman Catholic tradition, there are many religious institutes of nuns and sisters (the female equivalent of male monks or friars), each with its own charism or special character. Traditionally, nuns are members of enclosed religious orders and take solemn religious vows, while sisters do not live in the...
This image shows the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus. The apple held by the Christ alludes to the Virgin's status in Catholic theology as the "New Eve," who, by birthing the son of God participated in the possibility of the redemption of humankind from the stain...
The perfectly round form, called a tondo, became popular during the 1440s. Made for domestic settings instead of churches, the circular format challenged the artist to create a harmonious, balanced composition within this more difficult shape. The attribution has been a matter of debate. Botticelli often collaborated with students, including...
Pius IX (born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verifiable papal reign. After starting as a liberal he reversed positions and strongly condemned liberalism. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican Council in...
According to the apocryphal Gospel by Pseudo-Matthew, while resting in Egypt after fleeing the Massacre of the Innocents and their home in Israel, the Virgin Mary asked Joseph to harvest some dates from a palm. As Joseph could not reach the fruits on the three, Jesus ordered the plant...
Saint Ambrose, who lived in the 4th fourth century, was an important Christian scholar and bishop. Here he is depicted among his books in a forceful pose emphasized by his massive hands. On the table’s edge, a scourge, or whip—the knotted rope attached to a wooden rod—symbolizes...
