Art
in the Service of Religion
The complimentary relationship between art and religion
can be traced back to the primitive ancient societies. This is where art was
used to depict the tangible facets of religion while illustrating the
underlying concepts that religion postulated .The universal belief of the
rising of art began in 19th century in Western Europe (Cynthia, 2001). Ancient
and Medieval Christian art began to be collected for appreciation rather than
worship, while modern Christian art was not widely encouraged across different
beliefs systems in society.
Early forms of art that could be termed, as original
Christian art was not much preserved owing to the fact that Christianity as a
religion was a lower class religion. In addition, most of its proponents
underwent persecution (Beth, 2004). Christian art essentially integrates both
Roman and ancient Greek art. As a result, Christian art encompassed both the
native religion ideals and adopted part of pagan art in illustrating their
religious issues.
Religion has unquestionably been the most frequently used
inspiration for artists. Due to the omnipotent nature of art, it has been used
by religion for various reasons. Key among this noble course is the provision
of symbols and figures that the art provides. These are normally used for
sacramental purposes or to generate a spiritual feeling of proximity to God. A
common example of art that has been utilized in religion is the painting of
Virgin Mary holding infant Jesus. This symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ and
its spiritual significance to the Christian believers. Essentially art was
utilized by religion to convey religious messages rather than rendering images
and people.
Another illustration is the painting by Leonardo da Vinci
on the last supper. In this art, he depicts a consternation that took place
among the twelve followers of Christ when Jesus announced his betrayal by one
of them .This is a classical example of how religion has integrated sacred art
to document significant religious timeline events.
Many of the images of animals, winged humans, angelical
beings, and fire are thought to be visions that the various individuals
associated with particular religious groups may have been received from contact
with their gods. The use of calligraphy in the Islamic book Quran is another
observable case where art meets religion on an aesthetic perspective. Furthermore,
conveying the revelations of God to Prophet Muhammad in Arabic. Geometry is
also widely used by Islam’s in their architecture, ornamental designs which
foresee the development of the rich Islamic culture. This postulates the
relevant role religion plays in the development of pieces of artwork.
Buddhist art also was used in religious cycles to pass
along shared upon beliefs and acted as symbols for their faith. Buddhist cave
paintings ranging from calm devotional images of the Buddha who offered spirituality
to the believers to lively and crowded environments, usually involving the
seductively full-breasted and narrow-waisted women more common in Indian curved
sculptures than in painting (Cynthia, 2001). Buddhist art developed and even
significantly influenced the growth of Hindu art.
In conclusion, the analysis of pieces of art has vastly
contributed to the understanding of religious messages, which have been passed
from one generation to another (Cynthia, 2001). This may be in the context of
images, stone carvings, or even architectural designs involving religiously
essential symbols that link the believers to their gods.
References
Beth .W.(2004). Christian Art: A
Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Cynthia A. F. (2001). But Is It Art: an Introduction to
Art Theory. Oxford University Press.
http://www.morethings.com/god_and_country/jesus/crucifixion_photo_gallery01.htm
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