Classic Art Illustrating Content on This Site
TL;DR:
"Young Painter in His Studio," oil on oak wood by Barent Fabritius, c. 1655 |
(Image source )
More classic art masterpieces used as illustrations
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.
Word cloud art pieces on this site
Photos and maps on this site
More than 100 Art Masterpieces Enriching Webpage Content
"Abraham's Counsel to Sarai," by James Tissot "Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1," by Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing "The Adoration of the Shepherds," by Bartolome Murillo "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God), by Francisco de Zurbarán "Ansgar Preaching", by Gustaf Cederström "The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds," by Thomas Cole "The Apostle Paul," by Rembrandt "Apple Harvest at Éragny" by Camille Pissarro "The Beheading of St. James," by Philip Galle "Bowing" by R. and K. Wood "Brainerd Preaching to the Indians" "The Calling of St. Matthew" by Giovanni Lanfranco "Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane" by Vasily Perov "Christ on the Sea of Galilee," by Peter Paul Rubens "Christ Walking on the Sea," by Amédée Varin "Christ's Prophecy of the End of the World," by Frans Hogenberg "Christian Martyr's Last Prayer," by Jean-Léon Gérôme, "Construction of the Temple of Solomon," by Jan Luyken "Daniel's Answer to the King," by Briton Rivière "Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall," by Gustave Doré "Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts," by Matthäus Merian "Devotions at Home," by Elisabeth Baumann "Divine Service in the Catacombs of St. Calixtus, A.D. 50," unknown "Does oo love oo Tigy-Wigy?" magazine cover cartoon by Louis Dalrymple, "Dutch Bible," by David S. De Vault Easter: "The Holy Women at Christ's Tomb," by Annibale Carracci Elder brother — illustration of Luke 15 by Jim Padgett "Ezra Kneels in Prayer (Ezr. 9:1-15)," Doré's English Bible, "Ezekiel Cuts Off His Beard and Hair and Burns It," by unknown "Feeding the Multitude," mosaic by unknown "Feeding the Poor," by Wilhelm Gause "The Four Evangelists," by Jacob Jordaens "Francis of Assisi," by El Greco "Franciscan Missionaries in California," by Engelhardt Franz Gruber and pastor Josef Mohr, composer and author of "Silent Night," sculpture in Austria God Gives the Law Tables to Moses," anonymous Good Samaritan Parable," by Giacomo Conti "The Great Commission," stained glass window in El Paso, TX "He created dry land, the seas and plants," woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld "Herod Antipas," by Hartmann Schedel "The Huns at the Battle of Chalons," by A. De Neuville "I am the door of the sheep" by Andrey Mironov Indulgence seller at work, anonymous "Isaiah" by Nicolò Barabino "Israelite Exodus from Egypt," by Jan Luyken "Jeremiah being put in stocks by the priest Pashur," unknown "Jesus and Zacchaeus," by Niels Larsen Stevns "Jesus preaching on the Sea of Galilee" by Jacob Willemszoon de Wetx "Jesus Sends Out 70 Disciples," anonymous "Jewish Temple — The Soul of Jerusalem" by Alex Levin "Job and His Friends" by Ilya Repin "John the Baptist in Prison Sends His Disciples to Question Jesus" by Ermenegildo Lodi "John the Baptist pointing to Jesus" by Matthias Grünewald "John the evangelist" by Lippo Memmi "John the evangelist at Patmos" by Francesco Granacci John on the Isle of Patmos, anonymous John Wesley preaching outdoors, stained glass window by Farrar Bell Jonah being tossed into the mouth of a large fish, anonymous "Jonah Preaches to the Ninevites," from Ridpath's Universal History , Book Third "Joshua Crosses the River Jordan With the Ark of the Covenant," by Benhamin West Jude, the Apostle" by Anthony van Dyck "Light of the Lamb," mosaic on church building "The Lord's Prayer," by James Tissot "Lost Sheep," by Adolf Wagner von der Mühl "Medical Missionary Attending to a Sick African," by Harold Copping "The Merchants Chased from the Temple," by James Tissot "Miriam," by Sr. Edward Poynter "Missionary preaching in a kukui grove in Hawaii," by Alfred T. Agate "Missionary Ship 'Duff' Arriving in Tahiti," lithograph by Joseph Martin Kronheim "Moses before the burning bush," by Gebhard Fugel "Moses Confronts Pharoah," Holman Bible Illustrators "Moses Leads the Exodus" by Jim Padgett "My Shepherd," painting on a ceiling in St. Callixtus catacomb outside Rome "Nehemiah Visits the Ruins of Jerusalem's Walls" by Gustav Doré "Old Man Reading" by Albert Anker "Onesimus returns to Philemon with Paul's letter in his hands," by an unknown Medieval period artist "Oppression of the Israelites in Egypt," by unknown artist "The Passion of Creation," by Leonid Pasternak "Paul Preaching in Athens," by Rapahel "Pentecost" by Titian "Peter denies that he is one of Jesus' disciples," by Gustave Doré “Power of the Gospel," by Charles Schussele "Preaching to Natives on the lava at Kokukano, Hawai'i," sketch by William Ellis "Praying Hands" by Albrecht Dürer on 1995 French postage stamp "Prophet Nahum," by James Tissot "Prophets and Kings of the Old Testament Adoring the Name of Jehovah" by Nicolas Bertin "B" in an illuminated manuscript "Reading the Bible," by Gerrit Dou "Reading the Bible," by Paul Rink "Reaper," by Camille Pissarro "The Reapers," by Pierre-Auguste Renoir "Roberto de Nobili," by unknown "Saint Ambrose," by Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti "Saint Paul" by Guercino "Saint Paul Writing His Epistles" by Valentin de Boulogne "Samuel Annoints David" by François-Léon Benouville Satan — detail in "The Last Judgment" by Jacob de Backer "The Sermon of the Beatitudes," by James Tissot "The Seven Last Words of Christ," by F. Holland Day "Silent Night" author and composer, by bronze relief anonymous "Still Life with a Bible," by Vincent van Gogh "Sunday Morning in Virginia" by Winslow Homer "The Temptation of Christ," by Juan de Flandes "The Ten Commandments," Providence Lithograph Company card Ten Commandments in Hebrew on Parchment, by Jekutiel ben Isaac Sofer "The Thankful Poor," by Henry Ossawa Tanner "The Twelve Minor Prophets," marble relief in Orvieto, Italy "Unisphere" steel sculpture designed by Gilmore David Clarke "Young Samuel Hears God's Voice," Providence Lithograph Company card "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog," by Caspar David Friedrich "William Carey Translating the Bible" by Arthur Grosvenor Daniels
Photos and Maps on this Site
1040 Window and Circle of Significance , mapAbrham's travels , mapAncient Near East , mapAncient stone perfume jar found in Israel , photoAntique plumb bob and line , photoB, the initial letter of Psalm 1 in the "illuminated" Latin private prayerbook of the King of France , photoBible and passport, photoBible lying open on a wooden table, photoBible maps worksheet Open Bible oprn on table, photoCameron "Uncle Cam" Townsend , photoCanaan, strategic land bridge, map Church building near Salzburg, Austria where "Silent Night" was first performed , photoChurch of the Nazarene global administratrive regions, map Clara Swain , photoCollage of symbols of various religions , photoCollage of worshippers of various religions , photoCorinth: Stone columns of an ancient temple , photoCollage of people worshipping in various religions , photoCreoatia map Crowd outside of a Swedish Mongolian Mission Chapel in Mongolia , photoDiwali: An arrangement of diyas (oil lamps) for the festival, photo Eckert 4 projection of the global made with natural earth data Earth's City Lights , photoEngin Taylor , photoEphesus: Façade of the ancient library building , photoEsther scroll at a Spanish synagogue , photoFacial photos of males from 16 different ethnic groups," collage by Wilhelm Gause Flags of many nations on flag poles , photoFood offered in worship at a Buddhist Tet festival in Vietnam , photoFood offered in worship at a Hindu shrine in India , photoFrontispiece of a 1582 Douai-Rheims New Testament Galatia in modern-day Turkey, map Gateway to ancient Nineveh, photo of ruins Genesis 1 written in Hebrew on a chicken egg , photo"Gifted Hands" by GilDachomo , photoGoddess Shitla Mata, photo of marble statue Globe sitting on a Bible held by an outstretched arm and hand , photo"Gossip" , photoGreat Isaiah Scroll from Qumran , photoGreek manuscript of verses of 2 John , photoHenry "Hank" F. Blood , photoHindu Temple in Oklahoma City, two photos John and Betty Stam , photo"Kill a Commie for Christ" lapel pin , photo (also on a page about Jonah )Missionary airplane with crowd of children, photo"Moses Writing," screen capture from "Patterns of Evidence: The Moses Discovery" Nazarene Genereal Assembly Crowd , photoPalestine map worksheet (OT locations) Palestine map worksheet (NT locations) People planting tree seedlings , photoPhilippi: Ancient ruins in Greece , photoReligions of the world, map Slice of pecan pie , photoStreet in India jammed with vendors, pedestrians and traffic, photoSusan Norris Fitkin , photoSusanna Wesley , photo of paintingTabernacle model in Israel , photoTable with food for slametan feast in Java , photoThe World from My Perspective, maps Thessalonica: Ancient ruins of the Roman Agora or Forum , photoTopographical projection of the world, map
Tribal chiefs in Ghana wearing royal sacred cloth for a festival photo Viking Boat in Norwegian meseum , photoVirgil Amos , photo
Word Cloud Graphics
Bible and synonymous expressions Compassion synonyms Christian conversion -- related words and phrases Communion -- differet titles for this sacrament Creed synonyms Decision-making related words Discernment and related words "Do just, love mercy, walk humbly with God" Easter-related words and phrases Faith Promise event themes Foreigner -- related expressions Great Commission of Jesus Christ Heart of God: Faraway Places Holy Spirit -- Titles and descriptions Humility Synonyms Important Bible Chapters Infinitely reproducible and related words Listen Synonyms Missiological concepts like indigenization, holistic, and empowerment Missiology and related expressions NMI initialis with words like pray, give, enlist others and focus Pastor Synonyms Poor and related words Racism and related words Sanctification -- Related words and expressions Satan -- Various names for him Sin -- related words Ten Commandments -- Issues they deal with Themes like sending, Great Commission, global hope, and light to the nations Theology of Missions related words Three selfs: What leads to indigenous churches Traditional Religions Unevangelized -- synonyms and related phrases Ways Global Missionaries Reflect Christ Word for'God' in Various Languages Your part in Great Commission fulfillment
— Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu
What can art masterpieces and other visuals 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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