Relationship Between Religion and Art in Medieval, Renaissance and Contemporary Times

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In a brightly-lit corner of St Peter’s Basilica, sitting behind a clear panel of glass, is Michelangelo’s Pietà. A marble-white sculpture of the Mother Mary, her eyes downcast, gazes at her Son who lies dead across her lap. She seems both devastated and deep in thought. She is young and beautiful, in line with the old belief that a perfect soul meant a perfect outward appearance (Smart 122). She is famous and celebrated, and is visited by Christians from every nation.

In another part of the world, The Holy Virgin Mary by Chris Ofili resides in the Brooklyn Art Museum. It is a painting of Mary atop a pile of elephant feces, the Virgin herself made with the same substance, while surrounded by cutouts from pornographic magazines. The work has stirred much controversy but today still sits in the museum for the public (Saltz n.p.).

As early as the Middle Ages, Mother Mary has been considered one of the most revered and loved figures of Christianity. Paintings worshipping her are as numerous as that of Jesus Christ (Sturgis and Clayson, eds. 38). Why then is it tolerable for a museum to display a painting of her made with animal waste, as if she were equivalent to it? It is evident from this pair of contrasting artworks that the relationship between religion and art has evolved dramatically over the last thousand years and has significantly influenced society. Art, once used only to praise God, is now more independent. It seems that the world is more independent from religion as well. The relationship between religion and art continues to make an impact on society today by changing people’s perceptions of religion.

The Church was the highest authority in medieval times. It could collect taxes, create laws, own land, and decide anot...

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...ican. Italy: Ats Italia Editrice Srl, 1998.

Rookmaaker, H.R. Modern Art and the Death of a Culture. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1994.

Saltz, Jerry. "Chris Ofili's Holy Virgin Mary." Artnet - The Art Word Online. Artnet Worldwide Corporation, 10 Aug. 1999. 18 Oct. 2011. .

Sewall, John Ives. A History of Western Art. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1953.

Smart, Alastair. The Renaissance and Mannerism in Italy. London: Thames and Hudson, 1971.

Sturgis, Alexander and Hollis Clayson, eds. Understanding Paintings: Themes in Art Explored and Explained. New York: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, 2000.

Tiglao, Rigoberto. "God and the Pope under Attack (Part 1)." Philippine Daily Inquirer 8 July 2010: A13.

Zu Eltz, Dr. Johannes et al. YOUCAT. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011.

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