Free downloadable Catholic paintings which are in the public domain
Details: The Chi-Rho is a Christian symbol formed by superimposing the first two letters of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Christos), which are 'Chi' (X) and 'Rho' (P)[1][2][3]. It looks like an X placed over the stem of a P[4][5]. The Lindisfarne...
Details: The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated manuscript gospel book produced around the years 715–720 in the monastery at Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, England[1][2]. It is a spectacular example of Insular or Hiberno-Saxon art[3], created with a quill pen and black ink made from...
Details: Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, incipit to the Gospel of Matthew. The main text contains the first sentence of the Gospel According to Saint Matthew: "Liber generationis Iesu Christi filii David filii Abraham" ("The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,...
Details: Eastman Johnson painted The Lord Is My Shepherd only months after the Emancipation Proclamation of New Year’s Day, 1863. The image of a humble black man reading from his Bible was reassuring to white Americans uncertain of what to expect from the freed slaves. But the simple act...
Details: San Juan Nepomuceno is the Spanish name for Saint John of Nepomuk[1], a Catholic saint who was tortured and ordered to be thrown into a river by the king[2]. He is known as the "martyr of the seal of confession"[2]. Several paintings and sculptures...
Details: Many of Sarah Dodson’s paintings were inspired by religious or mythological subjects. This image shows Saint Thechla (or Thecla), who converted to Christianity and renounced marriage after hearing a sermon by the Apostle Paul. Her family and fiancé condemned her disobedience, and Thecla was cast to her fate...
Details: Sainte Madeleine au sépulcre (1842) is a painting by French history and portrait painter Léon Cogniet (1794-1880)[1][2][3][4]. It is an oil on canvas painting[1], located in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, Petit Palais[1]. The painting depicts Mary Magdalen at...
Details: Samson and the Philistines (1863) is a painting by Carl Bloch which was uploaded on November 28th, 2019[4]. The painting depicts the biblical story of Samson and the Philistines[1], and was created in 1863 in Academicism style[1]. It is considered to be one of Bloch'...
Details: The Denial of Saint Peter (1610) is a painting by the Italian painter Caravaggio[2]. It depicts Peter denying Jesus after Jesus was arrested[2]. It is thought to be one of the last two works Caravaggio painted before his death in 1610[3][4], and is known for...
Details: Most paintings of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are inspired by the apparition of Jesus, under the title of the Sacred Heart, to St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)[5]. Savinien Petit was a French painter who was born in 1815 and died in 1878[1]. He was known for...
Details: Christus Consolator (1837) by Ary Scheffer is a painting of Jesus Christ consoling all the people who suffer. The initial version of the painting was exhibited in 1837 at the Paris Salon[1]. Ary Scheffer was a Dutch-French Romantic painter[2]. He was known mostly for his works based...
Details: The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is a major event in the life of Jesus described in the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament[1]. It is an act of humility, with Jesus consenting to be counted as if he were a sinner, along with everyone...
Details: Ethiopian angels are featured prominently in Ethiopian Christian art and architecture[4]. They can be found in the form of paintings, statues, and frescos in churches such as Debre Berham Selassie / Trinity at the Mount of Light church[2], Debre Birhan Selassie Church[2], and Holy Trinity Cathedral in...
Details: Catholic angels are pure spirits created by God[1], and are agents of God in Christianity[2]. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the whole life of the church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels[2]. Nine choirs or types of angels have been...
Details: The twelve disciples present at the Last Supper were Bartholomew[4], James, son of Alphaeus[4], Andrew[4], Judas Iscariot[4], Peter[4], John[2][3][4], Thomas[4], Philip[4], Matthew[4] and Simon the Zealot[4]. The beloved disciple, commonly identified with John the Evangelist, is mentioned...
Details: Saint Luke Painting the Virgin (1838) by Eduard Von Steinle is an oil on canvas painting measuring 134.0 x 181.8 cm[2]. It is signed and dated 1851[2] and is part of the Royal Collection[4]. Eduard Von Steinle was a historical painter and member of...
Details: Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico is a tondo, or circular painting, dating from the mid-15th century[3]. It is believed to have been a collaboration between Fra Angelico and his colleague Filippo Lippi[1], with contributions from a number of hands[3]. It has sometimes been called...
Details: This painting depicts the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Saint James and his followers on the bank of the Ebro River, outside the city walls of Zaragoza, Spain. According to tradition, the Virgin, who appeared on top of a stone pillar, was conveyed from Jerusalem by angels to...
Details: Walatta Petros (Ge'ez: ወለተ ጴጥሮስ; 1592 – 23 November 1642) was an Ethiopian female saint[1][2]. She is known for resisting conversion to Roman Catholicism because, unfortunately, at the time, the king of Ethiopia was attempting to forcibly convert his subjects from the Tewahedo Church to Roman...
Details: In 1773 Nicolás Enríquez created this set of five paintings for the private devotional use of Juan Bautista Echeverría, a Spanish-born merchant. Echeverría’s choice of subject matter is highly personal, reflecting both his Basque roots and his extended residence in Mexico. Enríquez lavished special attention on this painting...
Details: Saint George is a popular figure in Ethiopian iconography, often appearing on horseback driving his lance or spear into the dragon he famously slew[1]. He is venerated as a Christian saint and is the patron saint of Ethiopia[2]. The Church of Saint George, known locally as Bete...
Details: Juan Rodríguez Juárez was a versatile artist who excelled as a painter of altarpieces as well as portraits and small devotional works such as the Entombment of Christ. This work displays the brilliant color and vigorous modeling characteristic of the earliest phase of his career. The composition derives from...
Details: A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church[1], known as princes of the Church and typically holding the title for life[1]. They constitute the College of Cardinals and their most solemn responsibility is to elect a new pope[1]. Eduard von Steinle...
Details: Jacob is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 25[1]. His name, Yaʿaqōv, is derived from ʿaqev meaning 'heel', as he was born grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau[2]. Jacob's life was characterized by deception and manipulation, likely due to his...
