Classic Art on This Site

TL;DR:
Judeo-Christian themes have profoundly shaped Western art for centuries. Follow the links to pages featuring works that illustrate the interplay of Bible and art while enriching the site's content.

Masterpieces that stir emotions and speak to our souls

Through the centuries, artists and sculptors have drawn extensively on Judeo-Christian subjects and themes to create works that have profoundly shaped the visual and cultural heritages. From the biblical scenes depicted in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes to the lifelike marble statues of saints and apostles by Bernini, Judeo-Christian narratives have provided rich material for artistic expression. These works have illustrated stories from both the Old and New Testaments, conveyed theological truths, and celebrated key figures such as Moses, the prophets, the Apostles, and Jesus Christ..

Stained glass windows, paintings, mosaics, and carved cathedral facades have brought these sacred stories to life for believers. They have served as both decoration and teaching tools in an age when many could not read the Scriptures. Even in the modern era, Judeo-Christian imagery continues to inspire creativity, symbolizing moral ideals and spiritual hope. The more than three dozen images used on the pages of this website demonstrate the enduring influence of the Bible on Western art. More than that, I hope this curated group reflects and enhances the content of the pages on which the various pieces appear.

These masterpieces, including the photos and maps included below, can speak into the depths of our souls and stir our emotions. I hope you will let that happen to you.

Over 80 Art Masterpieces Reflecting Webpage Content

1. "Abraham's Counsel to Sarai," by James Tissot
2. "Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1," by Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing
3. "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God), by Francisco de Zurbarán
4. "Ansgar Preaching", by Gustaf Cederström
5. "The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds," by Thomas Cole
6. "The Apostle Paul," by Rembrandt
7. "Apple Harvest at Éragny" by Camille Pissarro
8. "The Beheading of St. James," by Philip Galle
9. "Bowing" by R. and K. Wood
10. "The Calling of St. Matthew" by Giovanni Lanfranco
11. "Christ on the Sea of Galilee," by Peter Paul Rubens
12. "Christ Walking on the Sea," by Amédée Varin
13. "Christ's Prophecy of the End of the World," by Frans Hogenberg
14. "Construction of the Temple of Solomon," by Jan Luyken
15. "Daniel's Answer to the King," by Briton Rivière
16. "Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall," by Gustave Doré
17. "Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts," by Matthäus Merian
18. "Devotions at Home," by Elisabeth Baumann
19. "Divine Service in the Catacombs of St. Calixtus, A.D. 50," unknown
20. Easter: "The Holy Women at Christ's Tomb," by Annibale Carracci
21. Elder brother — illustration of Luke 15 by Jim Padgett
22. "Ezra Kneels in Prayer (Ezr. 9:1-15)," Doré's English Bible,
23. "Ezekiel Cuts Off His Beard and Hair and Burns It," by unknown
24. "Feeding the Multitude," mosaic by unknown
25. "Feeding the Poor," by Wilhelm Gause
26. "The Four Evangelists," by Jacob Jordaens
27. God Gives the Law Tables to Moses," anonymous
28. Good Samaritan Parable," by Giacomo Conti
29. "The Great Commission," stained glass window in El Paso, TX
30. "He created dry land, the seas and plants," woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
31. "Herod Antipas," by Hartmann Schedel
32. "The Huns at the Battle of Chalons," by A. De Neuville
33. Indulgence seller at work, anonymous
34. "Isaiah" by Nicolò Barabino
35. "Israelite Exodus from Egypt," by Jan Luyken
36. "Jeremiah being put in stocks by the priest Pashur," unknown
37. "Jesus and Zacchaeus," by Niels Larsen Stevns
38. "Jesus Sends Out 70 Disciples," anonymous
39. "Jewish Temple — The Soul of Jerusalem," by Alex Levin
40. "Job and His Friends" by Ilya Repin
41. "John the Baptist pointing to Jesus" by Matthias Grünewald
42. "John the evangelist" by Lippo Memmi
43. "John the evangelist at Patmos" by Francesco Granacci
44. John on the Isle of Patmos, anonymous
45. "Jonah Preaches to the Ninevites," from Ridpath's Universal History, Book Third
46. "Joshua Crosses the River Jordan With the Ark of the Covenant," by Benhamin West
47. Jude, the Apostle" by Anthony van Dyck
48. "Light of the Lamb," mosaic on church building
49. "The Lord's Prayer," by James Tissot
50. "Lost Sheep," by Adolf Wagner von der Mühl
51. "Medical Missionary Attending to a Sick African," by Harold Copping
52. "The Merchants Chased from the Temple," by James Tissot
53. "Missionary preaching in a kukui grove in Hawai'i," by Alfred T. Agate
54. "Moses before the burning bush," by Gebhard Fugel
55. "Moses Confronts Pharoah," Holman Bible Illustrators
56. "Moses Leads the Exodus" by Jim Padgett
57. "My Shepherd," painting on a ceiling in St. Callixtus catacomb outside Rome
58. "Nehemiah Visits the Ruins of Jerusalem's Walls" by Gustav Doré
59. "Old Man Reading" by Albert Anker
60. "Onesimus returns to Philemon with Paul's letter in his hands," by an unknown Medieval period artist
61. "Oppression of the Israelites in Egypt," by unknown artist
62. "The Passion of Creation," by Leonid Pasternak
63. "Pentecost" by Titian
64. "Peter denies that he is one of Jesus' disciples," by Gustave Doré
65. "Preaching to Natives on the lava at Kokukano, Hawai'i," sketch by William Ellis
66. "Prophet Nahum," by James Tissot
67. "Prophets and Kings of the Old Testament Adoring the Name of Jehovah" by Nicolas Bertin
68. "Reading of the Bible by the Rabbis" by Jean Jules Antoine Lecomte du Nouy
69. "Reading the Bible," by Gerrit Dou
70. "The Reapers," by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
71. "Roberto de Nobili," by unknown
72. "Saint Ambrose," by Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti
73. "Saint Paul" by Guercino
74. "Saint Paul Writing His Epistles" by Valentin de Boulogne
75. "Samuel Annoints David" by François-Léon Benouville
76. Satan — detail in "The Last Judgment" by Jacob de Backer
77. "The Sermon of the Beatitudes," by James Tissot
78. "Still Life with a Bible," by Vincent van Gogh
79. "Sunday Morning in Virginia" by Winslow Homer
80. "The Temptation of Christ," by Juan de Flandes
81. "The Ten Commandments," Providence Lithograph Company card
82. Ten Commandments in Hebrew on Parchment, by Jekutiel ben Isaac Sofer
83. "The Twelve Minor Prophets," marble relief in Orvieto, Italy
84. "Unisphere" designed by Gilmore David Clarke
85. "Young Samuel Hears God's Voice," Providence Lithograph Company card
86. "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog," by Caspar David Friedrich
87. "William Carey Translating the Bible" by Arthur Grosvenor Daniels

Photos and Maps on this Site

1. 1040 Window and Circle of Significance, map
2. Abrham's travels, map
3. Ancient Near East, map
4. Bible maps worksheet
5. Canaan, strategic land bridge, map
6. Church of the Nazarene global administratrive regions, map
7. Corinth: Stone columns of an ancient temple, photo
8. Collage of people worshipping in various religions, photo
9. Diwali: An arrangement of diyas (oil lamps) for the festival, photo
10. Eckert 4 projection of the global made with natural earth data
11. Earth's City Lights, photo
12. Ephesus: Façade of the ancient library building, photo
13. Esther scroll at a Spanish synagogue, photo
14. Facial photos of males from 16 different ethnic groups," collage by Wilhelm Gause
15. Food offered in worship at a Buddhist Tet festival in Vietnam, photo
16. Food offered in worship at a Hindu shrine in India, photo
17. Gateway to ancient Nineveh, photo of ruins
18. Genesis 1 written in Hebrew on a chicken egg, photo
19. Goddess Shitla Mata, photo of marble statue
20. Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran, photo
21. Greek manuscript of verses of 2 John, photo
22. "Moses Writing" screen capture from "Patterns of Evidence: The Moses Discovery"
23. Palestine map worksheet (OT locations)
24. Palestine map worksheet (NT locations)
25. Philippi: Ancient ruins in Greece, photo
26. Thessalonica: Ancient ruins of the Roman Agora or Forum, photo
27. Religions of the world, map
28. Tabernacle model in Israel, photo
29. The World from My Perspective, maps
30. Topographical projection of the world, map

— Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu

What can art masterpieces do for us?

• “The goal of life is rapture. Art is the way we experience it. Art is the transforming experience.” -- Joseph Campbell, professor of literature, writer, and speaker
• “Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings and also experience them.” -- Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist, thinker, and moral philosopher
• “The nature of the masterpieces is not to dazzle. Their nature is to persuade, to convince, to enter into us through our pores.” -- Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 19th Century French painter
• “A Christian should use the arts to the glory of God, not just as tracts, mind you, but as things of beauty to the praise of God. An artwork can be a doxology in itself.” -- Francis A. Schaeffer
• “What is Christian in art does not lie in the theme but in the spirit of it, in its wisdom and the understanding of reality it reflects.” -- Hans R. Rookmaaker, Dutch Christian scholar, art historian, and cultural critic
• "“Art is a wonderful thing. It has the power to lift us from our common day-to-day existence and transport us to the high and lofty realms. ort us to the high and lofty realms. In fact, I think art is among those things that Paul admonishes us to look to for relief in our times of trouble, despair or dullness.” -- Mark Graham, managing editor of the Herald of Holiness

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