Editing Religious art (section)

==Christian art==
{{main|Christian art|Catholic art|Byzantine art}}
{{See also|Religious image#Christianity|Madonna (art)|Icon|Images of Jesus}}

Christian sacred art is produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of [[Christianity]], though other definitions are possible. It is to make imagery of the different beliefs in the world and what it looks like. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, although some have had strong objections to some forms of religious image, and there have been major periods of [[iconoclasm]] within Christianity.

Most Christian art is allusive, or built around [[theme (literary)|theme]]s familiar to the intended observer. Images of [[Jesus]] and narrative scenes from the [[Life of Christ in art|Life of Christ]] are the most common subjects, especially the images of [[Christ]] on the [[Cross]].

Scenes from the [[Old Testament]] play a part in the art of most Christian denominations. Images of the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Virgin Mary]], holding the [[Child Jesus|infant Jesus]], and images of saints are much rarer in Protestant art than that of [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] and [[Eastern Orthodoxy]].

For the benefit of the illiterate, an elaborate [[iconographic]] system developed to conclusively identify scenes. For example, [[Saint Agnes]] depicted with a lamb, [[Saint Peter]] with keys, [[Saint Patrick]] with a shamrock. Each saint holds or is associated with attributes and symbols in sacred art.

===History===
[[File:VirgenNino.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Virgin and Child. Wall painting from the early [[catacombs]], Rome, 4th century.]]
[[Early Christian art]] survives from dates near the origins of Christianity. The oldest surviving Christian paintings are from the site at [[Tel Megiddo|Megiddo]], dated to around the year 70, and the oldest Christian sculptures are from [[sarcophagi]], dating to the beginning of the 2nd century. Until the [[Constantine I and Christianity|adoption of Christianity by Constantine]] Christian art derived its style and much of its [[iconography]] from popular [[Roman art]], but from this point grand Christian buildings built under imperial patronage brought a need for Christian versions of Roman elite and official art, of which [[mosaic]]s in churches in Rome are the most prominent surviving examples. 
Christian art would soon become the foundation of churches across Europe. Stained glass windows often depict biblical scenes to be reflected across the inner workings of the building. Murals and altarpiece art also fill churches with intricate and expressive Christian images.

During the development of early Christian art in the [[Byzantine Empire]] (see [[Byzantine art]]), a more abstract aesthetic replaced the naturalism previously established in [[Hellenistic Greece|Hellenistic]] art. This new style was hieratic, meaning its primary purpose was to convey religious meaning rather than accurately render objects and people. Realistic perspective, proportions, light and colour were ignored in favour of geometric simplification of forms, reverse perspective and standardized conventions to portray individuals and events. The controversy over the use of ''graven images'', the interpretation of the Second Commandment, and the crisis of [[Byzantine Iconoclasm]] led to a standardization of religious imagery within the [[Eastern Orthodoxy]].

[[File:Botticelli - Madone de l'Eucharistie.jpg|thumb|An example of a [[Madonna (art)|Madonna]] with an Angel, painted by [[Sandro Botticelli]] (1470) and commissioned by the [[Catholic Church]] during the [[Renaissance]] in [[Florence]] (Boston, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum)]]

The Renaissance saw an increase in monumental secular works, but until the [[Protestant Reformation]] Christian art continued to be produced in great quantities, both for churches and clergy and for the laity. During this time, [[Michelangelo Buonarroti]] painted the [[Sistine Chapel]] and carved the famous ''[[Pietà]]'', [[Gianlorenzo Bernini]] created the massive columns in [[St. Peter's Basilica]], and [[Leonardo da Vinci]] painted the ''[[Last Supper]]''. The Reformation had a [[The Reformation and art|huge effect on Christian art]], rapidly bringing the production of public Christian art to a virtual halt in Protestant countries, and causing the destruction of most of the art that already existed.

As a secular, non-sectarian, universal notion of art arose in 19th-century Western Europe, secular artists occasionally treated Christian themes ([[Bouguereau]], [[Manet]]). Only rarely was a Christian artist included in the historical canon (such as [[Georges Rouault|Rouault]] or [[Stanley Spencer]]). However many modern artists such as [[Eric Gill]], [[Marc Chagall]], [[Henri Matisse]], [[Jacob Epstein]], [[Elisabeth Frink]] and [[Graham Sutherland]] have produced well-known works of art for churches.<ref>Beth Williamson, ''Christian Art: A Very Short Introduction'', [[Oxford University Press]] (2004), page 110.</ref> Through a social interpretation of Christianity, [[Fritz von Uhde]] also revived the interest in sacred art, through the depiction of Jesus in ordinary places in life.

Since the advent of printing, the sale of reproductions of pious works has been a major element of popular Christian culture. In the 19th century, this included genre painters such as [[Mihály Munkácsy]]. The invention of color lithography led to broad circulation of [[holy card]]s. In the modern era, companies specializing in modern commercial Christian artists such as [[Thomas Blackshear]] and [[Thomas Kinkade]], although widely regarded in the fine art world as [[kitsch]],<ref>Cynthia A. Freeland, ''But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory'', Oxford University Press (2001), page 95</ref> have been very successful.

The last part of the 20th and the first part of the 21st century have seen a focused effort by artists who claim faith in Christ to re-establish art with themes that revolve around faith, Christ, God, the Church, the Bible and other classic Christian themes as worthy of respect by the secular art world. Art could then be used to cultivate the church to participate in Christianity once again. Artists such as [[Makoto Fujimura]] have had significant influence both in sacred and secular arts. Other notable artists include [[Larry D. Alexander]], Gary P. Bergel, Carlos Cazares, Bruce Herman, Deborah Sokolove, and [[John August Swanson]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Buenconsejo, Clara|date=21 May 2015|title=Contemporary Religious Art|url=http://blog.mozaico.net/contemporary-religious-art/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929011640/http://blog.mozaico.net/contemporary-religious-art/|archive-date=29 September 2015|access-date=2 June 2015|publisher=Mozaico}}</ref>