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Christian art is a term that covers all visual works produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity . Virtually all Christian groupings use or have used art to some extent. However the prominence of art and the media, style, and representations change; however, the unifying theme is ultimately the representation of the life and times of Jesus Christ and in some cases the Old Testament . Depictions of saints are also common, especially in Anglicanism , Roman Catholicism , and Eastern Orthodoxy . HISTORY Beginnings , 2nd century.]] , Rome, 4th century.]] Christian art is nearly as old as Christianity, and the first preserved Christian images emerge from about 70 AD, as recorded in the archeological findings at the church in Megiddo. This early proliferation of images, although not fully perserved, leaves us with archaological records regarding early Christianity and its evolution. The oldest still-existent Christian paintings are from the site at Megiddo , dated to about 70 A.D., and the oldest Christian sculptures are from Sarcophagi , dating to the beginning of the 2rd century. Post-Roman period Much of the art surviving from Europe after the Fall Of The Roman Empire is Christian art. While the Western Roman Empire's political structure essentially collapsed after the fall of Rome , its religious hierarchy, what is today the modern-day Roman Catholic Church funded and supported production of sacred art. The Orthodox Church Of Constantinople , which enjoyed greater stability within the surviving Eastern Empire was key in funding arts there, and glorifying Christianity. As a stable Western European society emerged during the Middle Ages , the Catholic Church led the way in terms of art, using its resources to commission Painting s and Sculpture s. Christian art is found in Architecture principally in the form of Churches , Cathedrals , Monasteries and Tombs . of the Virgin and Child with Saints - painting in the National Art Gallery of Australia]] The development of Christian art in the , and it led to a minimalist aesthetic in the Protestant Church . As a secular, non-sectarian, universal notion of art arose in 19th century Western Europe, ancient and Medieval Christian art began to be collected for art appreciation rather than worship, while contemporary Christian art was considered marginal to art history. Occasionally, Christianity was a theme for secular artists ( Bouguereau , Manet ) — but only rarely was a Christian artist included in the historical canon ( Rouault ) — so contemporary Christian art is not found in art museums. Nevertheless, churches and chapels continue to be built, and Christian art is commissioned to fill them. '' (1498)]] Over the centuries, Christian art has had three primary purposes: Depicting the actual events of the Bible , depicting the events of the Christian life or communicating the message of Scripture in a visual form. Today's Christian art leans more toward a combination of Biblical events and Scriptural truth. However a crucially important trend has begun to emerge within Christian Art, that of the professional Christian Artist . In the past most Christian Art was either commissioned by a religious institution (e.g. a Church or Denomination ) or created as an uncompensated artistic expression. Over the last three decades however, professional artists have turned toward devoting their talents solely to Christian art. The first to do this successfully was Ron DiCianni , who in 1992 created a painting called ''Spiritual Warfare'' which went on to become one of the best selling Limited Edition Prints of the decade. As DiCianni blazed the trail he influenced others to join him in what he described as a mission of "Reclaiming the Arts for Christ"tm. As other artists began to join DiCianni and decided to make the transition to painting solely Christ centered art some standouts began to emerge. Artists like Thomas Blackshear , Michael Dudash, Morgan Weistling, Chris Hopkins and several others transitioned out of very successful secular Fine Art or Illustration careers to devote their talents to spreading the Gospel through Art. The traditional art world has responded positively to the transition of these artists and continues to award some of secular art's most prestigious awards to today's Christian Art and artists. With a stable of successful Christian Artists, companies began to launch divisions dedicated to Christian Art, something that had not previously been done. As those companies proved successful, more artists and Art Galleries began to open up to the flood of Christian Art in both Original and Print form. Currently Christian Art is a thriving industry which provides pieces of art that both decorate and glorify God visually. Traditionally reserved as the parlance of Churches, more and more Christians are bringing Christan art directly into their home and offices as a reminder of their Faith and their love for Jesus Christ . SYMBOLISM ''' of Mary and Jesus ( Our Lady Of St. Theodore ).]] A work of Christian art, whatever the medium, usually portrays a specific person or religious event. Each masterpiece usually presents symbolism native to that religious sect. There is no unifying or defining "Christian" symbol; for example, the Christian Cross does not look the same throughout Christian denominations, nor is the Bible the same work of literature for each sect. However, the following are general symbols that are replete throughout most Christian works:
The Crucifixion as Prophecy from the Book of Daniel Digital art by Ted Larson http://home.earthlink.net/~theoson/Index.html THEMES Themes often seen in Christian art are:
NOTES REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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