“If the artist can perceive a ray of the supreme beauty among the many manifestations of the beautiful, then art becomes a way to God.” The Purpose of Art Why does the human person create? Why does the artist make art? On the surface, art seems unnecessary. It isContinue Reading
“The Apostles obey because it is Jesus who asks them.” G.K. Chesterton gives us a wonderful example of the freedom that comes with obedience to authority. “We might fancy some children playing on the flat grassy top of some tall island in the sea. So long as there was aContinue Reading
“…at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist” The Mystical Supper The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, was formalized in the 13th century. It commemorates the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist. But love for theContinue Reading
There is a longstanding discussion among sacred artists regarding whether or not the Holy Trinity should be represented in art and if so what is the most appropriate way to do so. The Iconographic The argument against representing the Trinity usually centers around God the Father. The second person ofContinue Reading
“The arts are perhaps the most universal language we have.” The love between God the Father and God the Son is so strong that it forms a third person, the Holy Spirit. As the Son is the one who reveals to us the Father, Jesus is our entrance into thisContinue Reading
“How can sacred art, in the Gothic tradition, emphasize the act of bringing God’s scattered people together?” From the Book of the Acts of the Apostles: “And when the days of Pentecost were completed, they were all together in the same place. And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven,Continue Reading
“May we praise God always in word and deed.” Christ has ascended to heaven and is no longer visible to us. But He is still present through His Body the Church. He feels pain when the Church suffers. There are two seasons centered on the feast of the Resurrection ofContinue Reading
“By His Ascension He is now always everywhere.” The Ascension of the Lord is a Solemnity in the calendar of the Church, a feast-day of the highest rank. By the 11th century several different patterns had developed to depict the event. The elements common to all the compositions are theContinue Reading
“the great tragedy of the artistic temperament is that it cannot produce any art.” As Jesus continues to prepare his followers for the time when He will no longer be visible, He imparts to us a great gift, peace. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.”Continue Reading
“Depictions of the Last Judgement in the neo-Gothic, are striking for what they leave out.” The Salisbury Doom One of the most prevalent Western iconographic images is “The Last Judgement.” In England these were called “Doom” paintings and often adorned the west wall of the church. This is the doorContinue Reading