Questions tagged [art]
The art tag has no usage guidance.
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Looking For a Specific Illustrated Children's Bible
I'm looking for a very specific illustrated children's Bible that I cannot remember the name of. It has very stylized illustrations (non-realistic bodies, skin colors, etc). I remember this ...
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Did the early church allow statues and images in church?
Protestants are against having statues and images and often quote Exodus 20:4, but Catholics and Orthodox Christians have beautiful statues and images in their church, but did the Early Church Fathers ...
user51922
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Which denominations have official flags?
Which denominations have official flags?
Catholics have the papal flag of Vatican City
The flag of Vatican City was adopted on 7 June 1929, the year Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy, ...
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What was the ante-Nicene Fathers' view on image veneration?
What was the ante-Nicene Fathers' view on image veneration and its use inside churches?
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Is Judas Iscariot ever depicted in religious art with one of those silver or gold coloured Halos?
Is Judas Iscariot ever depicted in Religious art with one of those cool silver or gold coloured Halos?
A halo also known as a nimbus, aureole, glory, or gloriole is a crown of light rays, circle or ...
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Did St. Faustina Kowalska ever comment on Jesus' hair and eye colour?
St. Faustina Kowalska had a vision of Jesus, which He instructed her to have made into a painting, which she then did by supervising a painter.
Sister Faustina was a young, uneducated nun in a ...
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Is there a written tradition that would explain why John the Evangelist is often depicted in art as effeminate?
John the Evangelist is often depicted in art as effeminate (e.g. long hair, clean shaven, gentle face), as illustrated below.
This is especially apparent when compared with other males in the same ...
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Is this statuette supposed to be St. Nicholas of Myra, or Father Christmas, or somebody else?
In the lobby of a residential building during the Christmas Season last year, I encountered the white-bearded sculpture pictured below, about half the height of an average son of Adam. This piece of ...
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Can a novel interpretation of John 15 be supported by art in church history?
David Thurman in his book, "From Vines to Wines in Classical Rome" writes about a very common first century practice (testified by Pliny and Columella) of establishing vineyards with a post ...
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Are there any sects that prohibit the use of images in general?
Are there any Christian sects that prohibit the use of images in general (even for art/entertainment)?
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Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe an expression of "The Modern Attack"?
When Hilaire Belloc wrote The Great Heresies there wasn't a great name for the modern materialist dogmatic theology, he referred to the culmination of enlightenment ideas that constitute the current ...
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Who were the recepients of Christian monumental sculptures in the early middle ages (10th and 11th century)?
I am in the process of writing a paper about the bronze column commissioned by Bernwardus Hildesheimiensis, the bishop founder of Benedictine Monastery of St. Michael in Hildesheim, completed ...
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Why does Infant Jesus wear a big crown in pictures? [closed]
In many images of Infant Jesus, (for example Infant Jesus of Prague,) he is shown as wearing a huge crown which looks larger-than-life in size. Is there any historical reason for the same? What does ...
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Is there a Christian equivalent of Mandala (word or symbol)?
During a recent visit to Canterbury Cathedral particular circular patterns on the floors (pictured) reminded me of the circular patterns of Mandalas.
I was wondering if these are simply 'for ...
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Chimera Image on my leather jacket?
I have a leather jacket that just picked up from a girl who was selling it and I didn’t notice that it had a Chimera on its back.
Truthfully, the image disturbs me a bit. I don’t want to curse my ...
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The White Crucifixion and Pope Francis?
Some of us are aware that painting of the White Crucifixion by Marc Chagall is well liked by our present Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Francis.
White Crucifixion
Although it seems to deviate from the ...
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Is there any biblical basis for the Church to depict Jesus as a European or some other ethnic race?
The reason I ask is that the Most Rev Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (Anglican Church of England) was recently interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme and said that in the wake of Black ...
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Do any denominations use the full form of INRI?
At John 19:19-20 we read:
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place ...
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What is the meaning of the stained glass above the altar at Votivkirche in Wien with the Portuguese Quinas on it?
I would like to know more information on a glass painting I found in the church Votivkirche in Wien (Vienna, Austria). Above the person with the shield there is the symbol of the Portuguese Quinas.
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Does R.C. Sproul elaborate on his position regarding images of Christ?
In discussions of theologians who take the continental Reformed view of the 2nd commandment (as opposed to the Westminster / Puritan view), people often point out this brief quote by R.C. Sproul:
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What are the origins of the Our Lady of Grace statues?
What is the original Our Lady of Grace statue? Is it associated with a particular Marian apparition?
There are many coloration variations in these statues, so I show this monochrome garden statue as ...
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What is happening and written in this illustration/artwork?
On this illustration an angel/cherub, two men, some dogs and some sheep.
It is very hard to read what the tekst on what the angel/cherub is carrying.
The tekst says Gloria but the other two words I ...
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Can someone tell more about this artwork of Jesus Christ?
Another piece in the belongings of my late grandmother may she rest in peace.
This is a part of 7 pieces in total.
I am really intrigued by the artwork itself.
Is it possible for someone to ...
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What is depicted on this piece of artwork?
Another piece in the belongings of my late grandmother may she rest in peace.
This particular piece is a very beautiful piece in my opinion. This is a part of 7 pieces in total.
I am really ...
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What is depicted on this small piece of artwork with Mary and the Apostles?
Another piece in the belongings of my late grandmother may she rest in peace.
This particular piece is a very beautiful piece in my opinion. This is a part of 7 pieces in total.
Can anyone tell me ...
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How are the bread and wine explained by those who forbid images of Jesus?
This question is directed at those who subscribe to the Westminster Standards, particularly Westminster Larger Catechism 109, which reads:
The sins forbidden in the second commandment are [...] the ...
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Questions about this icon of Saint Sophia
Below is an icon of Saint Sophia and her three daughters (Faith, Hope, and Charity). It's so cute! I hope someone who is knowledgeable about iconography can answer a couple questions I have about it.
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What is the meaning behind this coin of Pope St. John Paul II?
I have in my possession a big coin in a nice box with the papal heraldry of Pope St. John Paul II.
I am very curious Where this coin came from and why this coin exists.
I have found many ...
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Finding a mural of an unknown cathedral?
I am looking for the name of the cathedral that contains the following mural.
What I know for sure is:
That it has been done between 2004 and 2008, more likely in 2008.
It was made in a Catholic ...
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Besides St. Casimir, are any other saints portrayed with three hands in iconography?
Other than the icon of St. Casimir in Vilnius (below), are there other examples of saints with three hands? Does a third hand make up part of the iconography of St. John the Evangelist?
Image by ...
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Trying to find information on a crucifix found whilst metal detecting
I am trying to find the age of a silver cross that I have found on a site that had a benedictine priory on it from 1149 to 1540.
I believe that clues to its age are the use of a two bar Patriarchal ...
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Who started the Judensau image?
I found about Judensau sculpture when I want to know deeper about Martin Luther. Below is a little bit information about Judensau I read from Wikipedia:
A Judensau (German for "Jews' sow" is a folk ...
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Why is Christ often shown with long hair in Christian iconography?
A friend of mine is Catholic and she has an icon or picture of Christ. It shows him with long, dark brown hair. Is there anything in the New Testament that justifies this representation? It seems to ...
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What was Saint Thomas Aquinas's girding by the two angels?
Diego Velázquez's Temptation of St. Thomas shows him being girded by angels with a belt of purity:
What is the event behind this painting?
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Paintings of the Holy Family with a young St. Joseph?
Most paintings seem to portray St. Joseph as an old man and his wife St. Mary as much younger. Abp. Fulton Sheen—arguing in "The World's Happiest Marriage" that "Joseph was probably a young man, ...
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What's the significance of this image for Jehovah's Witnesses?
I was browsing through the friends of one of my Facebook friends. One of them is, I am guessing, a Jehovah's Witness because some of their posts have Jehovah's Witness-related entries such as photos ...
user35972
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Prior to 1900 were there any depictions of Satan in Christian art as a woman/female?
Are there any Christian symbolic depictions Satan in art as a woman?
In Christian art, Satan has often been depicted as a man (male) or some evil looking monster out of man's imagination of what the ...
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Old Portrayal of St Michael the Archangel [closed]
I am searching for a painting of the Archangel Michael, but with the old portrayal.
In every painting I have found he is depicted with a sword, literally fighting the bad and everything dark. As far ...
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Why do images of saints often depict them with unusual hand gestures?
Many saints are often depicted holding a book or some other object. However, I have noticed that there are quite a few that have unusual hand gestures. Why is this?
Augustine of Hippo
Index finger, ...
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Where in the Bible does it say angels sing? [duplicate]
I was recently told that man is the only one of God's creations that can sing. I thought angels also sang, but I don't know where the Bible says that. Where in the Bible does it say that angels sing?
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What is the source of the image of angels in light and wings? (Roman Catholic perspective)
The teaching, "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14) is common. And there are many stories all over the Bible of "men" who are angels ...
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Why did John Newton oppose Handel's Messiah?
Recently, while listening to a lecture on worship by Kevin Twit, I was surprised to hear John Newton's opinion on Handel's Messiah:
John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace," refused to let Handel'...
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In Catholic art imagery, how is hell symbolized?
In Catholic art and imagery how is hell symbolized? If a symbol does exist for it, why was this particular symbol chosen?
In other words, does hell have a symbol?
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What is/are the Hebrew/Aramaic word(s) for "devil" in The Passion of the Christ movie?
What is the word used for "devil" in Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" during the scene where Christ is interrogated by the Sanhedrin? The word "devil" appears in the English subtitles ...
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How did the four living creatures become associated with the Gospel writers?
The visions of Ezekiel recorded in Ezekiel 1 and that of John in Revelation 4:7 include four living creatures (ζῷα) that stand in the presence of the throne of God. In both visions these heavenly ...
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What does Pentecostalism consider Prophetic Fine Art to be?
In many Pentecostal churches, they talk about prophetic art - pictures/paintings with prophetic value. And of course, the Catholic Church is full of art, but do they consider their churches art ...
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What does the abbreviation "RNIO" mean in a painting of the Virgin and Child?
In the Crivelli painting "The Virgin and Child with Infants Bearing Symbols of the Passion" there is (at the right, under a bare tree) an injured (?) knight with a red shield inscribed with the ...
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In Eastern Orthodoxy, how is an icon recognized as inspired?
In a discussion on imagery and icons, the Orthodox Study Bible says:
Every image, or icon, of Christ has significant theological content. For it proclaims anew the Incarnation of God, who "became ...
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What is the significance of position of fingers in Jesus' hand as shown in his images?
In most of the visual images of Jesus – both in picture and sculpture forms – fingers of His right hand, raised in blessing, follow a particular arrangement. Is there any significance to that ...