Catholic paintings about the Gospel.
Jacopo Tintoretto ran a busy workshop in Venice, specializing in dramatic, complex religious paintings, which he produced at incredible speed. This crowded composition, with its daring foreshortening and elongated figures, is consistent with Tintoretto’s style. However, the overall quality of the execution suggests the work is by studio assistants...
This painting illustrates a scene from the Christian Bible. A young maidservant accuses the apostle Peter, in the yellow cloak, of knowing Jesus. Fearing for his own safety, Peter denies the acquaintance. While working in Italy, the Dutch artist Gerrit van Honthorst earned the nickname Gerard of the Night for...
Triptychs (hinged three-paneled works) such as this were often placed on or behind the altars of medieval churches and private chapels. The central panel of this triptych shows people mourning the death of Jesus. The city in the background is Bruges, where the artist worked. Saint John the Baptist and...
In the biblical story of the Massacre of the Innocents, King Herod orders the killing of all boys two and younger in Bethlehem, Jesus’ birthplace. Three magi (wise men) from the East had arrived in Jerusalem seeking the newborn king of the Jews, whose star they had seen. Taking this...
Looser and less formal than the portraits that made him famous, this work was completed shortly before Van Dyck began a six-year stint in Italy. It follows the biblical description of Jesus Christ’s betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, brings a band of soldiers...
Ovals and Rondels from the Mysteries of the Passion: – Series of small etchings depicting the suffering of Jesus and the life of Mary (Gospels). Jacques Callot: 17th-century French printmaker and draftsman, known for technical innovations in etching and depicting crowded, highly detailed scenes. Free DownloadThis image is in the public...
Jesus and the Woman Taken in Adultery: – Jesus saving a woman from accusers by challenging their sin (Gospels: John 8). Georg Pencz: 16th-century German artist, known for detailed Northern Renaissance engravings and religious paintings. Free DownloadThis image is in the public domain.download.jpg670 KBdownload-circle Please SUBSCRIBE or DONATE to...
Christ asks the Samaritan woman to give him water to drink. She is taken aback because Jews did not associate with Samaritans. He speaks to her of the water of life that cures all thirst and reveals himself as the Messiah. The maker of this metalcut used punches, gouges, and...
Jesus-Christ Donnant les Clefs a Saint Pierre: – Christ giving the keys of Heaven to Saint Peter, symbolizing his authority over the Church (Matthew 16). Robert de Seri: 18th‑century French etcher, known for reproductive prints after Renaissance masters like Raphael. Free Downloaddownload.jpg604 KBdownload-circle Please SUBSCRIBE or DONATE to help...
(Subject) La Mort De Jésus-Christ Sur Le Calvaire: Jesus dying on the cross at Calvary (Gospels: e.g., Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19). The painter (Jean‑Hippolyte Flandrin): 19th‑century French painter, student of Ingres, noted for calm, classical religious scenes and portraits. Free DownloadThis image is...
This leaf once belonged to a small missal and was created in the late eleventh or early twelfth century. The distinct style of its miniature suggests it was made in Southern Germany, or possibly in the Tyrol region of Austria, where line drawing in colored inks had developed into a...
The Last Supper of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles has been a popular subject in Christian art, often featured in cycles depicting the Life of Christ. Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art date back to early Christianity and can be seen in the Catacombs of Rome. The Last...
The grief-stricken faces of the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist once faced another panel referencing the Crucifixion. Their expressive features and weighty three dimensionality make their sorrow over Jesus’s death palpably human, while the golden space that they inhabit reinforces their sanctified status. Netherlandish devotional scenes sought to...
"Noli Me Tangere", originating from a predella created in medieval Italy, reflects the transition from Byzantine to early Romanesque artistic styles, characterized by stylized forms and spiritual symbolism over naturalistic representation. This scene, showing the resurrected Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene, was part of a narrative ensemble...
"Birth in Bethlehem" by Gebhard Fugel exemplifies the revival of religious painting in late 19th- and early 20th-century Germany, a period marked by a search for spiritual depth and clarity amidst rapid societal change. Fugel, celebrated for his devout Christian motifs, drew on the traditions of German academic...
Created by Pietro Perugino during the height of the Italian Renaissance, "The Baptism of Christ" (1500–1505) reflects the period’s fascination with harmonious composition, balanced figures, and luminous color. Perugino, renowned as one of the leading artists of his generation and Raphael's teacher, masterfully incorporates...
Coptic icons often present the Crucifixion with characteristic stylistic elements—flattened perspective, strong lines, and deeply expressive faces—focusing on spiritual, rather than physical, suffering. These images invite viewers to contemplate the mystery and meaning of Christ's sacrifice. Free DownloadThis image is in the public domainCoptic_Crucifixion_Icon....
The work features the crucifixion scene with Mary, John, and a clerical figure. It is part of the European Art collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where it has been since 1979. The painting has changed hands several times, most notably when it was sold in Paris in 1954...
Many of Rouault’s works reveal his strong Catholic faith. The Crucifixion, representing Christ’s sacrifice for the salvation of humanity, is a prominent theme. The thick application of vibrant color here is characteristic of the Fauvist movement, with which Rouault was associated. While other Fauves tended to avoid social...
These four panels, together with another one depicting the Resurrection (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), once constituted a predella—a series of small pictures, often narrative scenes, forming the base of an altarpiece. These predella scenes depict moments when Jesus’s divine nature was revealed: at his birth, at...
The term "Effata," meaning "Be opened" in Aramaic, relates to the biblical story of Jesus healing a deaf and mute man. In Gebhard Fugel's painting "Effata," this theme symbolizes spiritual awakening and communication. The artwork captures the transformative power of faith, inviting...
These four panels, together with another one depicting the Resurrection (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), once constituted a predella—a series of small pictures, often narrative scenes, forming the base of an altarpiece. These predella scenes depict moments when Jesus’s divine nature was revealed: at his birth, at...
The concept of the Good Samaritan has a rich history in art, often symbolizing compassion, charity, and moral duty. Originating from the biblical parable found in the Gospel of Luke, the story tells of a Samaritan who helps a traveler who has been beaten and left for dead. In contrast,...
This series of panels illustrates scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist, a prophet who foretold Jesus’s arrival as the Christian savior. The Art Institute’s collection includes six panels that were originally part of a group of 12 that possibly formed the doors of a reliquary...
