Free downloadable Catholic paintings which are in the public domain
The overall style of this painting suggests that it was painted by an artist closely associated with the Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck. The facial structure of the saint as well as the artist's treatment of his cloak are typical of van Eyck's follower, Petrus Christus. Christus was active in th
Rather than depicting a single moment in time, this gold-ground painting symbolically encapsulates Christ. Seated on a rich throne, the monumental Virgin holds the Christ child. Above, the risen Christ is seen in heaven holding a book, inscribed with the alpha and omega, the first and last letters o
The scene of the Annunciation to Mary that she will give birth to Christ is depicted here as a contemporary scene that may have been familiar to any viewer at the end of the 1400s. Mary is portrayed as an ordinary but wealthy woman who is interrupted by the Archangel Gabriel as she reads a book of h
Formerly ascribed to the French painter Simon Vouet (1590-1649), Rest on the Flight into Egypt has only recently been attributed to Poërson, a collaborator and follower of Vouet. Intended to be a small devotional picture, this painting on oak panel depicts a quiet scene of the Holy Family resting; t
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian, was martyred for refusing to make sacrifices to idols as decreed by the pagan Roman emperor Maxentius. While Maxentius first attempted to slay Catherine with spiked wheels, the machine broke when she prayed for salvation, and the emperor subsequently behea
The earliest Italian painting in the Lehman Collection, this panel formed part of one of the greatest Italian altarpieces of the third quarter of the thirteenth century. The double-sided altarpiece was probably commissioned for the main altar of the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia. This
David depicts the birth of Christ as a scene running continuously across three panels. However, the kneeling donors, introduced by the standing Saints Jerome and Leonard, are kept distinct from the central sacred event. A later owner converted the original couple's donor portraits into Saints Anthon
Because of his simplicity, piety, and devotion to all living creatures, Saint Francis (1181–1226) has remained among the most revered and popular saints. Born to wealthy parents in Assisi, he first lived a life of spendthrift luxury. However, Francis later gave up all worldly goods and embraced an e
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.
