John of Fiesole (Fra Angelico), the patron of Christian artists, left us many paintings but few words. The quotes that are attributed to him, however, speak volumes. “He who wishes to paint Christ’s story, must live with Christ.” “He who does Christ’s work, must stay with Christ always.” On beingContinue Reading
The idea of the celebrity artist, the artist who has won fame and praise for himself and his work, is a relatively new phenomena. It is more a product of the modern concepts of marketing than it is about the artist’s talent. For every pop superstar, every academy award winning actor,Continue Reading
In the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, not too far from the Vatican, there is a statue by Michelangelo, Christ the Redeemer. What you may not know is that this is the second statue the artist carved to fulfill his commission. The first statue developed a flaw. As it was beingContinue Reading
The vocation of the painter, indeed the vocation of any artist, is first and foremost, to create beauty. Even evil, when depicted in their work, must depicted beautifully. Art that is ugly and shallow, with no Truth behind it, shows us a world without God. The role of the artistContinue Reading
Do we hesitate to take on our role as missionaries because we doubt our abilities? One of my favorite movies is “A Man for All Seasons,” starring Paul Scofield as Thomas More. In one key scene More defends his reluctance to accept the post as Chancellor of England by citingContinue Reading
What makes “Christian Art” Christian? Is there some value or quality that baptizes a work of art making it Christian? There is, but it may not be what you think. It isn’t about the subject matter, the genre, the style, the materials or the process. It isn’t even about the themeContinue Reading
Should a Christian artist paint themes from pagan mythology, other religions, or even fantasy motifs? Many artists who are deeply grounded in their Christian faith, especially those just starting out in their career, have questions about what is and is not appropriate subject matter. In a previous post I addressedContinue Reading