Bible stories have captivated artists throughout history. I have found the following works of art and their creators inspirational:
Henry O Tanner-The Annunciation
The young woman sits quietly and attentively at the head of her bed. Her hands are folded and her head slightly bowed as she looks with shy reverence towards the bright yellow pillar of light near the foot of her bed. She is wrapped in a woolen blanket or robe. On her bed is draped another heavy bedspread.On the chair to the right is a dark woven cloth…
Passion Painting by Patty Wickman
UCLA painting instructor Patty Wickman calls this piece Passion Painting. At first glance it seems to be mislabeled. It depicts a young girl wrapped in a blue blanket with her head resting on a table. Maybe she got up early to watch the sunrise but fell asleep while waiting…
The Sower by Vincent Van Gogh
Jesus began his most famous parable this way, “A sower went out to sow…” He goes on to describe how some seed fell on rocky ground, some among the thorns and weeds, and some on good soil. While many Biblical scholars focus on the nature of the seed, the condition of the soil, or even the expected harvest, Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh was captivated by the image of the sower. During his short artistic career from age 27 to 37, he completed over 2000 works including 900 paintings. The sower figure appears in 30 of them…
The Burgers of Calais by Rodin
In September of 1347, near the start of the Hundred Year War between England and France, King Edward III of England laid siege to the northern French seaport town of Calais. 34,000 troops attacked the fortified city of 8,000 people in the hopes of gaining a secure port that could be used to re-supply the English army. The town’s defenses held—for eleven months. When Edward III realized he was unable to breech the walls and conquer the city, the decided to cut off their supply lines and starve the citizens to death.
Michelangelo at the Academia
In the heart of Florence, Italy is the Academia Museum. At one time the building housed an art school and the Hospital of St. Matthew. Today it houses art treasures from the Renaissance. The crown jewel of the collection is Michelangelo’s 500 year old sculpture of David. It was carved from a massive 18 foot block of marble that had been rejected by other more experienced artists.The sculpture depicts the young man David waiting for the giant Goliath to attack. He stands poised with his left hand holding a leather sling shot draped over his shoulder and his right hand cupping five smooth stones. He looks determined, confident, and courageous as he calmly waits.
The Fall by Michelangelo
In 1508 a very reluctant Michelangelo Buonarroti was commissioned by the very persistent Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling of the newly restored Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was a sculptor not a painter. His jealous rivals had recommended him for the project hoping he would accept and fail. The assignment was massive—a 12,000 square foot vaulted ceiling sixty feet above the floor with paint applied to wet plaster to create the fresco. The job took four years to complete. The results are breathtaking and represent one of the greatest works of art in the world. Needless to say, his rivals never bet against Michelangelo again.
The Moneylender and His Wife by Quentin Metsys
Quentin Metsys (also spelled Mastsys), 1466-1530,was born in Louvain, Belgium and initially trained as an ironsmith. Rumor had it that his wife preferred the silent sound of a paint brush on paper to the loud bang of an iron mallet on anvil. Regardless of the reason, he switched to painting and by 1491 he was mentioned as a master in a guild of painters in Antwerp. He appears to have been a person of faith as many of his painting depicted Biblical scenes or had a moral undertone.