Question: Outlined the varied nature of religious art.
[This piece was marked 28 out of 30! I have highlighted some of the key passages or phrases]
There is no defined answer to the question ‘what is religious art?’ Art in general can be categorised
in many different ways such as type (painting, sculpture, architecture) or period (baroque,
Renaissance) to name just a few. Religious art is different in that, as author Beth Williamson said,
‘Christian art... encompasses a wide range of forms and styles... there is no one particular religion,
style or period’. As a result of this, there are many forms of religious art to explore.
Firstly, religious art can be in the form of architecture, which encompasses churches, cathedrals,
temples etc. Alistair McGrath states ‘Christian spirituality is unquestionably affected by the space ion
which spiritual reflection takes place’, showing religious architecture can be considered a prime
Religious temples provide the worshipper with a ‘sacred
canopy’, a space in which they can step out of the ordinary existence and
gain a larger perspective; they may experience a closeness with the
numinous. Examples of religious architecture include Durham Cathedral, Notre Dame and the Taj
example of religious art.
Mahal, all of which are ornate and awe-inspiring works of art, thus helping the viewer in deeper
worship.
A second type of religious art may be religious paintings/illustrations. ‘The Light of the World’ by
artist Holman Hunt is a famous example of a religious painting; adding a symbolic message by
depicting Christ holding a lantern to represent the ‘light’ in the world and knocking on a closed door,
representative of the heart, that Hunt believed could only be opening from the insider of the person.
Grunewald’s Isenheim altarpiece is another example, depicting the torture and suffering Jesus
Religious illustrations were used
frequently in medieval times as a way of propagating the faith.
experience on the cross to save us for our sins.
A third example of type of religious art can be stained glass windows, used by the Christian faith
(Notre Dame, Paris) and also seen in many Mosques, in Judaism. Many
of the stained glass
windows in the Christian faith often depict Biblical doctrine, thus painting to
the beauty of the faith. There is a unique relationship between glass and
light; ‘God said let there be light, and there was light... God saw the light and it was good’. Light
is often equated with goodness, revelation and holiness.
A final type of religious art is video art and photography. An example of this may be video artist, Bill
Viola’s ‘The Messenger’, which depicts ‘a messenger’ rising endlessly up through deep water and
a striking new take on baptism. Video art is a much more modern
strand of religious art and has been reorganised as an aid for those living in
today’s increasingly secular society.
offering
As shown, there is a wide variety of religious art.
Question: ‘All art can be called religious if it inspires the viewer’. Asses this claim.
[This piece was marked 11 out of 15! I have highlighted some of the key passages or phrases]
There are a range of arguments for and against this view. Firstly, supporting the idea that ‘all art can
Pope John Paul II wrote to
artists, stating religious art should a) ‘stir the viewer into feeling a sense of wonder
and awe’ and b) ‘Reflect beauty which points to transcendence’. If the Head of the
be called religious if it inspires the viewer’, is the 1999 letter that
Roman Catholic Church is of the belief that art should evoke these feelings in the believer, then I can
be termed religious art.
To counteract this argument, Pope
Gregory the Great said ‘what writing does for the
literate, a painting does for the illiterate’ showing that art can be used as a didactic
tools, conveying religious doctrine just as well as words. In addition, there are many further
purposes of religious art such as a didactic tool, acting as a ‘bridging gap’ between the
‘tangible
mundane and the intelligible realm of the spiritual’, and act that acts as an aid to
worship such as Grunewald’s crucifixion. Art maybe classed as religious if it falls into any of these
categories, not just inspirational.
Secondly art may be classed as religious if it inspires the viewer because there are many forms of art
Even if the viewer is not associated
with particular religious doctrine, they can still be inspired by it, such as
Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’ on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, depicting
that inspire both religious and non religious people.
the holy almost touching fingertips with a human.
In conclusion, art can be classed as religious if it inspires the viewer but it can also be classed as
religious if it falls into other categories such as educational.
Examine the importance of religious art for the community of believers in one religion you have
studied
[This piece was marked 25 out of 30! I have highlighted some of the key passages or phrases]
Within Christianity, there are many beliefs that religious art is unquestionably important for the
believers of faith, particularly so in the Roman Catholic and Protestant faiths. There is a wide range
of art classed as important such as statues, stained glass windows, architecture etc.
It is the Roman Catholic and Protestant faiths that tend to have the most
ornate and magnificent churches and Cathedrals. They are often detailed, in
the shape of the cross with large spires pointing upwards to transcendence. In
the Roman Catholic faith, the altar is given the most prominence; the believers feel it is very
important for 2 reasons. Firstly, there is only one Lord and therefore only one altar and secondly the
altar is often made of natural stone, such as granite or marble. This is symbolic of the fact that Christ
However, in the Protestant faith, the
lectern is given the most prominence, symbolising and reminding the
community of believers that spreading the word of God is the most vital part
of their faith.
was considered the ‘cornerstone’ of the Church.
Religious art can often be devotional in Christianity. This means
it evokes the believer into
feeling a closeness with God. An example of this can be Grunewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece,
which is important as worshipers can concentrate on it during worship and not only be reminded
that Christ suffered for us and that we should be good Christians, but that the
worshipers are
united in their beliefs.
Stained glass windows are important in religious art as they are seen as an educational/didactic tool
for the worshiper as well as being aesthetically pleasing to look at. An example may be the Tynside
Industrial stained glass window, which shows God pointing from heaven down to earth, using 3
This particular window
is didactic and points to the beauty of the faith, and therefore important for
the community of believers.
fingers representative of the Trinity; the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Finally religious art is seen as important to Christianity because it can be ‘inspiration’ providing the
worshipers with new ideas and new ways to see things. An example of this can be Holman Hunt’s
‘Light of the World’, a symbolic painting that depicts Christ as the light in this world and the closed
door representing a closed and obsolete mind, that only the individual can open to Christ.
It is important to mention the Quakers, a stand of Christianity, who take a much more minimalistic
They believe that art is a
distraction from true worship, and that all you need is the belief in God to be
approach to art than that of the Roman Catholics and Protestant.
able to worship and pray effectively. They are of the view that money should
not be wasted on the production and maintenance of religious art when the
money could be given to much more worthwhile causes, such as charity.
‘Looking after works of religious art is the duty of every religious community’ Asses this view.
[This piece was marked 6 out of 15! This was probably due to time constraints!
Don’t let
this happen to you!! I have highlighted some of the key passages or phrases]
Those strands of Christianity that believe art is crucial in worships such as Roman Catholics would
believe that all believers, united , in their beliefs, should work together in making sure art which, as
Pope John Paul II wrote ‘points to transcendence’, and also glorifies God should be well maintained.
However Islam and Judaism believe it is idolatrous to represent God in human form as only God
know God; he is ineffable. Therefore they believe religious art is unimportant.