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Relation of art and religion
The role of art in religion in contemporary society
Religious art and its importance
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“Why is Art Important to Religion”
Art is important to religion in many different ways. Perhaps none has analyzed how art and religion have influenced and affected each other through the ages. Pictures painted of past events that help to bring back the feeling and importance of the past have been forgotten by some. To the one’s that haven’t forgotten are able to see the event’s as the bible says they happened. Not only can you see the events, but it also allows the younger students of the church to understand the events. The use of images of God became widespread after the second century. This religious art has defiantly been around for centuries and plays an important role to the history of religion as well as the future.
Religious art helps people that are looking for security and hope. Today society is looking for peace and an anchor to hold onto. This religious art lifts the spirit and brings peace within through a beautiful way. It helps reassure people that there is a life after this one. One needs not fear the power of God but to understand his actions and the way one should live his or her life.
Art through the ages has been a powerful voice for both secular and religious ideas, and the treasury of Christian art should not be relegated to museum viewing. The art should be displayed in the church were it is meant to be. Its richness can be brought to people in schools and adult study groups. This, in turn, can help to bring art up to the level, that the faith deserves. Churches should fill the walls with art to show what happened throughout the bible. Art creates connections and associations between what we see and what we sense happened. Both ritual and art challenge us to take us beyond the immediate, if they are to bring about true insight and transformation in our lives.
When the religious art leaks out of the religious community and into the broader world of culture, it is one of the ways the meaning of the art can evolve. This is also an opportunity for the art to draw the world to religion. Moreover, artistic reinterpretation of sacred imagery can help keep religion honest. The church has always been enriched by the tension that comes with diversity in art. Art is communication and effective art communicates effectively to any group at any level.
Berry points out that art comes does not birth something new rather “...it begins in other arts, in attitudes and ideas antecedent to any art, in nature, and in inspiration” (Berry 305). He also discusses how art should be used to bring glory to God.
...t would help bring into understandable light the mystery of the Church’s teachings. Finally, achievements in re-creating human emotion would ensure the painting’s, and therefore the Church’s teachings would leave an indelible mark on all of its viewers.
Art educates. This education can be both positive and negative but art can function as an educational tool that has lasting effects. A 2009 article in the New York Times titled: “Schools Adopt Art as Building Block of Education” indicates the growing acceptance of art functioning in education. In this article, the unique architecture of the building was used practically by students “measuring whimsical figures of hot-air balloons, paper airplanes and pinwheels built right into the walls of their school” (par. 1). The architecture also functioned as inspiration for further learning. In addition, the article documented the perspective of a four-year old child who proclaimed that “When you look at it, it helps you learn.” (par. 20) When Jeremiah looked at the image of heaven and hell he learned significant life lessons. This picture that was presented in residential school ...
Art has so many sides as to look creativity of the world. In chapter 20 Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Northern Europe by Fred S. Kleiner, you will see Disguised Symbolism which is a Bisociations of visual forms which occur so subtly that they are not directly or readily apparent to the conscious mind of the viewer. Adding onto that A Northern Renaissance technique of giving a spiritual meaning to ordinary objects in the painting so that these detail can carry the religious message. The 15th century, the majority of clients engaging artwork changed from ministry members to lay patrons. Due to the change, the images being represented altered to combine everyday life with a disguised religious symbol. Reconciling these
This piece communicates what was valued most at this point in time. Christianity was at the center of life in fourteenth century Europe. So much so that these artist were commissioned to create these highly valued religious pieces most for private purposes ,so the people could have a relic or icon to worship in their homes. Specific artistic conventions had o be followed when creating these pieces. The monarchies ruled through the church. There was huge emphasis on the man and afterlife, To ensure eternal salvation man devoted their lives to spreading and commemorating the word of Christ.
The art from the Middle Ages reflected a great deal on the relationship between God and humans. Many of the art that was done, was of Jesus' life as a child to death and of religious beliefs. "The art from the middle Ages not only pointed the way to salvation; they worked to link temporal and transcendental realms." (115) The art that was done could be found everywhere from a person house all the way up to a side of a cathedral. A lot of the art would also have to do with what was in ...
Imagine pondering into a reconstruction of reality through only the visual sense. Without tasting, smelling, touching, or hearing, it may be hard to find oneself in an alternate universe through a piece of art work, which was the artist’s intended purpose. The eyes serve a much higher purpose than to view an object, the absorptions of electromagnetic waves allows for one to endeavor on a journey and enter a world of no limitation. During the 15th century, specifically the Early Renaissance, Flemish altarpieces swept Europe with their strong attention to details. Works of altarpieces were able to encompass significant details that the audience may typically only pay a cursory glance. The size of altarpieces was its most obvious feat but also its most important. Artists, such as Jan van Eyck, Melchior Broederlam, and Robert Campin, contributed to the vast growth of the Early Renaissance by enhancing visual effects with the use of pious symbols. Jan van Eyck embodied the “rebirth” later labeled as the Renaissance by employing his method of oils at such a level that he was once credited for being the inventor of oil painting. Although van Eyck, Broederlam, and Campin each contributed to the rise of the Early Renaissance, van Eyck’s altarpiece Adoration of the Mystic Lamb epitomized the artworks produced during this time period by vividly incorporating symbols to reconstruct the teachings of Christianity.
Art, by definition, is “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings”. Throughout history, one way that art has been used is to reflect a multitude of ideas and beliefs. Christian beliefs and ideas have been portrayed in artwork since the beginning of Christianity, although, it was not always acceptable to do so. The idea of the final judgement is a Christian idea that has been displayed in art repeatedly in a variety of ways. Michelangelo’s fresco the Last Judgment (1536-1541) is a piece that visualizes this idea. Since the time it was finished, this significant piece found in the Sistine Chapel has been continuously critiqued and analyzed. Many Christians struggle to interpret the event of a final judgment after reading it through Scripture. In analyzing Michelangelo’s piece, it is similar difficult to determine what he exactly meant to portray and what the various part of his masterpiece represent exactly. Many have examined this piece and made different regarding what exactly the various figures and objects are supposed to represent. The diverse interpretations of this work further shows the idea that when Christian ideas are reflected through artwork, it is hard to ascertain exactly what an artist intended to demonstrate. In addition, the controversies surrounding this piece represent the idea that when Christian ideas are revealed through art, there is potential for disagreement regarding what should and should not be included in Christian art. Michelangelo’s Last Judgment is just an example of what results when Christianity is brought into art.
“Art is the organized visual expression of ideas or feelings.” Pensacola Christian College has a great definition for fine art. Starting with the first major point what type of art is this definition referring to; this is the traditional mediums used, such as painting, sculpture, architecture, and drawings. I am thankful we use traditional mediums at this establishment; after doing some research and finding artists like Millie Brown that have used bodily fluids and I am completely disgusted at the pieces that were created. Art needs to be an “organized visual expression of ideas or feelings” showing a clear understanding of design principles and using them to communicate a message. By following this principle I have been able to make some fantastic pieces that can go into a portfolio. Even God has said in Corinthians 14:33 says “for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints”. The background of this passage is all about communicating to the church, but as a Christian artist we can apply this to our work so we can edify others around us rather...
Whether or not we notice it, Art is always around. It can come in the form of a beautiful painting in the Smithsonian Museum, a sculpture by Michelangelo, or as graffiti on the wall. Whatever the form, art is always present. Additionally, art is not new; for as long as there have been people, there has been art. Though rare, early Christian art manages to express, in picture form, a story from the bible. One piece, which was actual a mural painted in the fourth century, on walls of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Raveena, Italy, depicts Christ teaching his apostles. Just a few miles away in a Vatican City museum is a statue from the third century which also depicts Christ as the Good Shepherd.
The Middle Ages, contrary to its name, was a dynamic period of innovations. Throughout this period, visual arts were employed to communicate important messages to the public as well as private wealthy patrons. A variety of mediums were used to disseminate ideas. Though, the sense of decorum shifted, the purpose of these moralizing images of religious figures remained the same. Art was, as it still is an extremely useful and powerful tool for both religious and political advancements. The two pieces to be considered in this paper were created using scenes from the life of Christ. Themes from the old and new testaments were frequently used in art of the Middle Ages to convey important messages to a largely illiterate populous, display the wealth of few individuals, and create feelings of patriotism and support for the Monarch by relating them to divinity. Both pieces are from different mediums and likely different forms of patronage. To be analyzed in this paper is an illuminated manuscript page (fig 1) and an ivory diptych (fig 2). There are several similarities, as well as differences throughout the works. I will describe each piece then continue to compare and contrast them, this will work to facilitate a greater understanding of the Middle Ages through works of art.
We do tend to expect certain things when we enter a place of worship, or peruse an active ministry, and truthfully, when taking in Christian oriented art. There are a couple reoccurring emblems, symbols, well-worn themes, and subjects which have been deemed safe, coming under overuse, carrying the weight of a saltine in the impact it makes on people, including us. While intentions are almost always well meaning, these conventions appear to the secular as a genre of its own in culture and art, quite often ringing with an unsavory note of incompetence. That’s already an unpleasant attribution to a faith that has changed the world, having built the infrastructure of empathy that has survived ages and permeates the social development of our western culture. It speaks to a deeper issue within the Church itself, which is a woeful lack of inspiration.
The most influential theme in art for centuries was that of religion. There have been many things that have influenced art over the generations. Nothing has had the impact on the art world that religions has. Many of the ancient art works were dedicated to the gods or other religious figures. The statues of the Ancient Egyptians were not just for beauty. Instead, they were representations of the gods and were meant to have significant meaning to the people who saw them. The people of the time knew the meaning of every reed, flower, bird, or animal that was depicted in the art. The same is true of the Greeks and Romans. Most of the art was inspired by the gods and the mythology of the region. Art as a way of imparting a message dominates the art world. For most of history, art had a meaning that was often connected to the religion of the region. This is fitting since art has a sense of permanence that most other mediums do not possess.
Throughout the ages art has played a crucial role in life. Art is universal and because art is everywhere, we experience it on a daily basis. From the houses we live in (architecture) to the movies we see (theatre) to the books that we read (literature). Even in ancient culture art has played a crucial role. In prehistoric times cave dwellers drew on the wall of caves to record history. In biblical times paintings recorded the life and death of Christ. Throughout time art has recorded history. Most art is created for a specific reason or purpose, it has a way of expressing ideas and beliefs, and it can record the experiences of all people.
The transformation of cultural studies from theology to philology greatly impacted art and is shown through many paintings from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. During the Renaissance, there was a big focus change from religious figures to the human life (Class Notes). This is shown through many paintings, like the Crucifixion of St Peter by Michelangelo. This picture depicts St. Peter being nailed to a cross while people look on (Class Notes). This painting does have a religious figure, however the focus is spread out through the people. When looking at the painting, your eye is drawn to many parts, not just one. This shows the change from Christianity to humanism (Class Notes). Theology, the study of god, was the major interest of the Middle Ages. Many paintings depict Mary and baby Jesus surrounded by angels (WorldBook). These paintings show the amount of dedication the people gave to religious figures. This shows the change from the worship of the religious figures to the study of people. The paintings from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance show the fo...