Art is a way to document history, from terracotta pots to marble statues to colossal temples, art serves as a time capsule, giving an insight into what life was like during periods that are otherwise lost. One of the most continuous representations in art, no matter the time period, is religion. For most of human history, religion was the epicenter of human existence, it dictated beliefs and often times was congruent with the government. But most of all the practice of religion created some of the most awe-inspiring works of art throughout history. These works range from feats of architecture such as the Egyptian Pyramids, San Vitale, and the Parthenon, to portable objects and paintings such as the Venus figurines, Lascaux cave paintings, and Islamic calligraphy art seen in The Dome of The Rock, to statues such as the many representations of Buddha found throughout Asia. Along with dictating the religion that these pieces worship, oftentimes religious art can give insight into the political and social climate of a certain civilization. For example, in ancient Rome the emperors were considered to be divine, ordained by the gods, and there were many pieces of art that indicate certain political conquests being ordained by the gods. Such as a relief from the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, that shows emperor Marcus Aurelius after his success against Germanic tribes, with a winged figure over his head. Although there are many different types of religions represented in art, all of them share a purpose, to worship, inspire and spread the teachings of their faith.
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Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna, from Hebei Province, Northern Wei dynasty, 518. Gilded bronze, 10 1/4”high. MuséeGuimet, Paris.
Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna: This Gilded Bronze statuette is 10 ¼ inches high, and dates back to the Northern Wei Dynasty in 518. The piece is suspected to have been a personal devotional object or a votive offering within a temple. The Lotus Sutra is a Buddhist text full of religious thought and poetry, within the writing Shakyamuni Buddha, the name given to Siddhartha Gautama after he became the Buddha, and Prabhutaratna, the Buddha who had achieved nirvana, meet; this piece represents their meeting (on the right is Shakyamuni Buddha and on the left is Prabhutaratna). Behind the individual Buddha’s, sitting in a lalitasana pose, is a mandorla. The seated pose represents relaxation which illustrates the intense connection between the two Buddha’s. The Mandorla is used in a number of previous religious pieces; however, it has no context to a deeper meaning. The statuette comes from Hebei Province, China and now resides within Musée Guimet, Paris.
"Art, and Religion.". “Art and Religion.” Encyclopedia of Religion, Encyclopedia.com, 2019, www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/art-and-religion.
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Shakyamuni Buddha, in the rotunda of the cave temple, Sokkuram, Korea, Unified Silla Kingdom, 751–774. Granite, 11’ high
Shakyamuni Buddha : The Shakyamuni Buddha in the rotunda of the cave temple in Seokguram Korea is made of Granite and is 11’ high. It is a huge statue of Buddha sitting, depicting the moment of enlightenment. It was constructed under the Silla Kingdoms rule, the rulers embraced Buddhism as a source of religious enlightenment and as a protective force. Many of the Buddhist temples constructed around the capital served as “supernatural defenses” against external threats as well as places of worship. The Shakyamuni Buddha was not cut from the interior wall of the cave, but rather assembled out of hundreds of granite pieces attached with stone rivets. Around the wall surrounding the Buddha there are sculpted images of bodhisattvas, religious guardians, that face inward toward the large statue of Buddha which faces the entrance of the chamber. The image, although it is a uniquely Korean representation of the Buddha with a smooth round face and schematic drapery, it still stays true to the iconographic prototype of this majestic image from the Buddhist faith.
“A Brief History of Religion in Art.” Smarthistory, smarthistory.org/a-brief-history-of-religion-in-art/.
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Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, c. 687-692.
The Dome of the Rock: The Dome of the Rock is one of the first great Islamic Buildings, constructed in Jerusalem, it marks the triumph of Islam over the Christian and Jewish faiths, as it’s location is sacred in all three religions. Although it is often thought to be a mosque, it is not, but rather a shrine dedicated to the triumph of Islam and the power of the holy land-- Adams grave (Jewish), the spot where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac (Christian), and where Muhammad began his journey to Heaven (Islam). The Shrine was built by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik and takes the shape of an octagon with a ginormous towering dome. It is a domed central plan structure which was copied from the Pantheon in Rome and the Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine empire, however it most closely resembles the octagonal San Vitale (also Byzantine). However it is uniquely Islam because of mosaic work. There are no figures represented, but rather inscriptions taken from the koran, as well as detailed Islamic Tile work that shows vivid colorful patterning that wraps around the walls like a textile.
www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/art-and-religion.
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Virgin and Child, France (probably Ile-de-France), c. 1350, marble with traces of gesso, Overall: 28 × 8 1/2 × 4 3/4 in.
Virgin and Child: The Virgin and Child is a statue from eastern France dating around 1300-1350 C.E. It is created from sandstone and shows the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. It originally belonged to a church in France, and is unique specifically because it shows the infant (Jesus) grasping the Virgin’s veil which establishes a strong human connection between the mother and her child, showing an increase in realism. This is important as Jesus is the son of God, he is often depicted as high and mighty compared to his human mother, Mary. The Birth of Jesus is probably one of the most well-known biblical stories in the Christian faith, and there are many variations of this same depiction found throughout France during this time period. The statue of the Virgin and Child functioned within a chapel in Eastern France during the gothic period of art, as there were many variations of these kinds of statues, this shows the growth in power of the catholic church during this time period. The gothic period is also very important in establishing a strong connection between art and religion, and although many statues were employed as architectural decoration, this one was not and stood alone within the Chapel itself.
“Virgin and Child (Primary Title) - (68.9.1).” Virginia Museum of Fine Arts |, www.vmfa.museum/piction/6027262-15523447/.
“Gothic Art (C.1150-1375).” Gothic Art: Characteristics, History, www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/gothic.htm.
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Iktinos and Kallikrates, Parthenon (Temple of Athena Parthenos), Acropolis, Athens, Greece, 447–438 B.C.E.
The Parthenon: The Parthenon is located at the top of the Acropolis in Athens, and was erected during the high classical period of Ancient Greece. It is the perfect temple, showing the unique artistic identity of the ancient Greeks. The design of the temple is continuously used, even today, and it is decorated beautifully with painted statues and delicate reliefs. The Parthenon uses visual tricks with proportions to make the temple appear “perfect”. These “tricks” include the number of columns, long versus short sides, the space between the columns, and the width of the stairs. The Athenians purpose for constructing this perfect temple was to honor the patron goddess of athens, Athena. Inside of the temple held the Athena Parthenos, a large statue of the goddess, a place where the Athenians could go and worship. Although this temple was a religious space, the Parthenon also stood as a celebration of the Athenian people after their victory over the Persians. For example, one of the reliefs depicts Greek warriors battling centaurs which represent “barbarians”, or in the Greek’s eyes, the Persians. There is also a statue of the goddess Victory near the Athena Parthenos which also alludes to the Greeks victory. This shows a strong unification of the Athenians religion with their everyday political life, in other words, the gods have ordained the Athenian people as victorious.
“Religious Art (700,000 BCE - Present) Definition, History, Types.” Religious Art: Definition, History, Types, www.visual-arts-cork.com/religious-art.htm.
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San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, c. 526-547.
San Vitale: San Vitale was constructed by emperor Justinian during the reign of the Byzantine Empire. San Vitale honored Saint Vitalis and established Byzantine power in Italy. This shows the strong unification between church and state at this time period, along with the fact that Justinian himself is portrayed in the interior mosaics beside the Bishop as a religious figure. Rather than the typical design for a church at this time period, a basilica, San Vitale is a unique early Christian church with a central plan. It features a dome-covered clerestory lit space with an elaborately decorated interior. The exterior of the building is characterized by an eight-leaved plan successfully integrating the inner and outer spaces, as well as a cross-vaulted choir. The interior of the church is covered in intricate mosaics that depict popular scenes from the Christian religion including the second coming of Christ and the story of Abraham. All of the images and symbols displayed express the idea of Christ’s redemption of humanity as well as the reenactment of it in the Eucharist.
“Religious Art (700,000 BCE - Present) Definition, History, Types.” Religious Art: Definition, History, Types, www.visual-arts-cork.com/religious-art.htm.
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Great Sphinx (of Khafre?), c. 2520-2494 B.C.E., sandstone, Gizeh. Height: 65 ft.
Great Sphinx: The Great Sphinx is carved out of sandstone and stands 65’ high in the valley of the Temple of Khafre. This is known to be a portrait statue of Khafre, who was an Egyptian king that reigned from 2575-2465 B.C.E. In Egyptian mythology, the Sphinx is a creature with a lion body and a human’s head, and it was often used to portray the Egyptian king as well as associations with the sun god. The sphinx was a spiritual guardian and was often buried in the tomb or displayed surrounding the temples. Some historians theorize that the sphinx might have also had a celestial purpose, meaning to resurrect the soul of the pharaoh by channeling the power of the gods, most specifically the sun god. This theory is derived from the fact that the sphinx is modeled to look like the pharaoh Khafre and its placement in orientation to the sun.
“A Brief History of Religion in Art.” Smarthistory,
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