Over at Catholic World Report, author Sandra Miesel has given us a wonderful overview of how artists have depicted the resurrection in art through the ages. Do take time to read the whole article.
It is not only a history of how depictions of the Resurrection have changed through time but is also a primer on how liturgical art has changes and grows as the Church’s understanding of the Gospel deepens.
“Traditional Christian art, like Christian theology, developed slowly as the Church’s understanding of the Gospel deepened and the cultures around her shifted.”
Religious art is a broad category and as it is defined more and more narrowly, it adheres more and more to guidelines or rules. Within the context of religious art there is Liturgical Art, that is, art that is used for the liturgy. Another way to think of it is art that is used within our churches, cathedrals, oratories, and even our home prayer corners.
Liturgical Art, (and early Christian art falls almost entirely into this category,) must follow certain principles and guidelines that are designed to prevent the faithful from being distracted during the liturgy or even from their prayers.
These guidelines have changed through the centuries because at different times the Church has wanted to emphasize different aspects of our salvation story. For example, Ms. Miesel documents the change in artistic representations from a focus on Christ’s divine nature to a focus on His saving power.
There is a school of thought that Liturgical Art must be limited to repainting byzantine prototypes. But I think this makes Sacred Art a dead thing. Not only does it reduce the artist to little more than a skilled copyist, but it suggests that no saint may be depicted in art who lived after the fifteenth century.
Sacred Art is a living thing, and artists have been given unique gifts to inspire the faithful of every age. Sacred Art must be allowed to grow, under the guidance of the Church, as our understanding of scripture grows and deepens.
“however beautiful, images are only instruments meant to teach truth and inspire contemplation.”