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Details: King David playing the harp is a common representation in medieval art[2]. This iconography is often used to symbolize joy and redemption[5], as well as to express prayer and love to God[5]. It also reflects David's role as the composer/performer of the Psalms[...
In this post, we will be focusing specifically on the issue of nudity in Christian art, why I do not include nudity on this website, and what Pope Saint John Paul II said about this topic.
Details: This panel was painted for a multipaneled altarpiece believed to be from Szászrégen in Transylvania, in present-day Romania. The piece was painted by the same artist who created the nearby paintings Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego, Seven Fat and Seven Lean Cows, and Two Men and Stocks. Each of the...
Details: St. Joseph is the patron saint of the Universal Church, families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers and working people[1][2]. He is also associated with various feast days and is regarded as the patron saint of workers[3]. Additionally, St. Joseph is...
Details: Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger (1927-2022), was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013[1]. He was elected to the papacy in 2005[2] and is remembered outside the Catholic...
Details: King David playing the harp is a common representation in medieval art[2]. This iconography is often used to symbolize joy and redemption[5], as well as to express prayer and love to God[5]. It also reflects David's role as the composer/performer of the Psalms[...
Details: King David playing the harp is a common representation in medieval art[2]. This iconography is often used to symbolize joy and redemption[5], as well as to express prayer and love to God[5]. It also reflects David's role as the composer/performer of the Psalms[...
Details: The Archangel Gabriel is a popular figure in Russian Orthodox iconography[1][2][3][4][5]. He is usually depicted wearing white or blue garments and holding a spear in his right hand[2]. In some icons, he may also be holding a mirror in his left hand[2]...
Details: The central scene of this painted, gilded wooden triptych shows Christ's Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his Crucifixion, based on a print by the German Master A. G. Christ prays to God the Father while the apostles Peter, John the Evangelist, and...
Details: The Betremariam Monastery is located on the Zege Peninsula near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia[1][3]. It was founded in the 14th century by a saint called Betre Mariam[2], and its circular church was built in the 16th century[2]. The monastery is one of more than 20 monastic...
Details: This manuscript leaf comes from a Book of Hours illuminated by the French court painter Jean Bourdichon. It depicts the Presentation of Christ in the Temple of Jerusalem, an event celebrated in the liturgical calendar as Candlemas. Forty days after Jesus's birth, the Virgin Mary kneels before...
Details: God expelled Adam from the Garden of Eden to prevent him from accessing the Tree of Life and living forever in sin[1][2]. God also wanted to teach Adam and Eve that His holiness could not be violated[2]. By expelling Adam, God demonstrated His love and care...
Details: The province of Goa in western India was under Portuguese control from 1512–1961, forming a nexus in trading routes that circumnavigated the earth. Goan craftsman were renowned for their supple modeling of ivory (likely exported from Mozambique) into Christian icons, which feed the appetite for luxury products in...
Details: The Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile is located at Duke Street (off Oxford Street), Mayfair, London, England[1]. It is part of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, a diocese of the Ukrainian Catholic Church with parishes throughout England, Scotland and...
Details: Saint Francis kneels before the crucified Christ at his right hand and receives the stigmata. Behind Francis is his brotherhood. The front brother holds a crucifix with both hands. People rise from the dead on the left of the print and enter the gates of heaven on the right....
Details: Devotion to the Virgin is an important element of Puerto Rican Catholicism. The Madonna is venerated in many guises, each with its own iconography. According to Spanish legend, the apostle James, patron saint of Spain, saw a vision of the Virgin Mary one night while he was praying on...
Details: El Greco's son, Jorge Manuel, who was known to work in the style of his father, probably painted this canvas. A reduced version of El Greco's original painting for the Cathedral of Toledo, it shows the dramatic moment before the Crucifixion when Christ's...
Details: The story of David and Goliath is a popular Bible story found in 1 Samuel 17[1]. Goliath was a giant Philistine warrior who challenged the Israelites to single combat[2][3]. Saul, the leader of the Israelites, chose David to fight Goliath[2]. Despite being much smaller and...
Details: The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an ascetical treatise written by John Climacus in the 6th century for monastics[1]. It explains the path to unity with God's love and how to avoid vice and practice virtue in order to obtain salvation[2]. An icon depicting the...
Details: Three tender scenes of the baby Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph fill the rectangular area of this French Gothic ivory. Above them, the squiggly line separates the gable and shows that the prayerful angel is in Heaven. The hinges on each side of the ivory reveal that...
Details: The Ascension icon depicts Jesus being escorted back to His heavenly home, with Mary and the faithful disciples present[1]. It conveys both confusion and peace, as worldly reasoning clashes with divine order[2]. The Virgin Mary is often placed at the center of the scene in Eastern iconography,...
Details: The Mughal dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Turkic-Mongol origin that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid-19th century. The Mughals were a majority Muslim ruling class over a majority Hindu population. They were known for their physical activity and military prowess, with the...
Details: The Adam and Eve story is found in the Bible's Book of Genesis[1]. God created Adam and then Eve, placing them in the Garden of Eden to care for it[1]. The Devil tempted Eve with the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which she...
Details: This small icon depicts the Virgin with her hands raised in prayer, and identified by an abbreviated inscription as the Mother of God. The size and theme of the icon suggest it was used in private devotion. For its pious owner, it would have served as a constant reminder...
