Christian Artwork

• The Ichthus is a symbol of the early church and is a symbol of unity and love. It was used during Christian prosecution to represent Christian communities and it was based on the Greek acronym that translates as "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour".
• The Chi-Rho is a symbol of Jesus, made up of the first two letters of his name in Greek. It was first seen by Emperor Constantine in the sky during a battle.
• The Alpha and Omega are symbols representing the beginning and end of time. They are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They were used by John in Revelation to describe Jesus' power over all things.
• Revelation 1:8

  '"I am the Alpha and Omega" says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty'
• The Alpha and Omega is found on:

  The Paschal Candle

  Churches

  Vatican

  Priest Vestments
• The Chi-Rho is found on:

  The entrance to a church

  St Peter's Basilica in Rome

  An altar

  Paschal candle

  Stained glass windows

  Priest vestments
• The early Christians used the Ichthus as a sign of secret meetings. It was created before the 3rd century CE.
• A cross is a symbol of victory over death, as Jesus is not shown. It is often seen in Methodist/Baptist churches. It is a sign of hope and joy that Jesus is still with us.
• A crucifix is a symbol of the pain and suffering of Jesus. This comes from Catholic tradition and reminds us that he suffered so we could have salvation.
• The Catholic Church uses the crucifix for the following reasons:

  It reminds us that Jesus was a human being.

  Jesus knew suffering and pain.

  Jesus died for you and me.

  Jesus sacrificed His life to save us.

  From the crucifixion comes the resurrection.

  To pray as Jesus did when he was suffering.

  To turn to Jesus when we are suffering or facing difficulties.
• The Risen Christ symbolises that Jesus has overcome death. Through his death on the cross, Jesus has risen to life and has returned to Heaven.
• Hildreth's Hand

  The hand represents God, showing his importance and transcendence.

  The cloud is too small to fit the hand, showing that God is omnipotent. It is a darker colour to represent God as being pure and not Earth.

  The lines of light show God's omnipotence and divinity. It represents that God is good and the light of the world. Wherever you are, God is always there.
• Hildreth's Hand is found in St Bartholomew's Church in New York. It can be seen on the ceiling of the church.
• The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Vatican City, Rome. The ceiling was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, as Pope Julius II ordered him to do it. There are nine paintings from the book of Genesis. The ceiling shows that humans need saving and that God can save us. It also shows that the world was perfect until humans made it imperfect.
• An apse is an area with curved walls at the end of a building, usually at the east end of a church.
• The Ravenna Apse features Jesus in the middle, His angels, a soldier and a bishop. Christ sits on a globe representing the universe. He rules over all of creation and brought us salvation. In Christ's left hand, he is holding a scroll. With his other hand, Jesus is crowning a soldier as a martyr.
• The Ravenna Apse also features a circle in the centre that reflects the colours of the Earth and sky and is a symbol of the sun. Christ is below the image to reflect the belief that he is the Son of God. Inside the circle, the symbols combined are the first letters of the Greek words for Jesus and Christ.
• At the top of the archway of the Ravenna Apse, there are two angels presentintg a disc representing the sun, its rays and colours representing sky, sea and land. The Bible associates the sun with Christ or the Messiah. When Jesus was transformed in front of Peter and John "His face did shine as the sun" (Matthew 17:2)
• The Creation of Adam - Adam

  Adam is on the Earth as he is a human and therefore, sinful.

  Adam and God are lying in the same position as humans are made in the image of God. (Image Dei)

  Adam has muscles to show that he is the perfect man. ("God made everything good")

  His hand is limp - he is waiting for God's life force.

  The close relationship between God and His creation is shown through the closeness of the hands.
• The Creation of Adam - God

  God is wise - white hair.

  God is transcendent - carried outside the Earth by angels.

  The cloud could be a heart (omnibenevolent) or it could be a brain (omniscient).

  Muscles represent God's omnipotence.

  He is reaching out to Adam, showing that he wants a relationship with His creation.
• Why do some people dislike the Creation of Adam?

  God and Adam are shown to be the same size, suggesting that they are equal - Catholics know that this is wrong.

  God is eternal - not an old man.

  Nowhere in the Bible does it mention Adam and God touching.

  Could be an inaccurate portrayal of God - no one knows what he looks like.
• Christ the Redeemer was completed in 1931 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was built to challenge the godlessness of the city and remind people of God. Jesus redeems all people, his outstretched hands remind us of his death and it is a symbol of love and obedience to the Father.
• The Sacred Heart is a statue of Jesus with holes in his hands. One hand is pointing to his heart. A crown of thorns surrounds the heart, representing the crown that was put on Jesus' head. Flames are coming from the heart as a symbol of burning love.
• 'I am gentle and humble in heart' Matthew 11:29
• The Divine Mercy is an image seen as a vision by St Faustina in Poland. Jesus wanted this image to be blessed on the first Sunday after Easter Sunday. That Sunday is known as the feast of mercy. Jesus told St Faustina to paint the image with the signature "Jesus, I trust in you". It represents the fact that God's mercy is for all people.
• Our Lady of Guadalupe is an image of Mary that had miraculously appeared on the cloak of Juan Diego in December of 1531. Diego had seen Mary as a vision several times before. On this occasion she arranged roses on his cloak, and when it was opened, the image was revealed.
• The Miraculous Medal is a medal that was originated by St. Catherine Laboure after a vision of the Virgin Mary. It is a devotional medal.
• The front of the Miraculous medal:

  Mary - the mother of Jesus.

  The world - Mary is above the world and so is in heaven.

  A snake - represents sin or the devil. Mary is stood on the snake, so she is crushing sin.

  Rays of lights from Mary's hands - The many blessings from Mary.

  A prayer - What to say when you need help.
• The prayer on the Miraculous Medal is:

  "O Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us who have recourse to thee."
• The back of the Miraculous Medal:

  The large letter 'M' - for Mary who will mediate for us before God.

  Cross and bar - The cross for Jesus. The bar represents where Mary was stood at the crucifixion.

  12 stars - Based on a verse written by St John.

  Left heart - Sacred heart for Jesus, who died for us.

  Right heart - Immaculate heart of Mary, who intercedes and prays for us.

  Flames around both hearts - The burning love Jesus and Mary have for us.
• The 12 stars are based on a verse in the book of Revelations, written by St John:

  "And a great sign appeared in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars."
• On the 19th July 1830, St Catherine Labouré had a child calling her to the Chapel. There she saw Mary who told her "God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is necessary."

  Catherine's visions were investigated for two years before being reported to the Archbishop, who gave his approval for the medal to be created.
• St Catherine Labouré was buried in the Chapel of her convent at Rue du Bac in Paris. Her body never changed. Her feast day is the 28th November. She is the patron saint of special graces, architecture, miners and prisoners.
• Catholics wear the Miraculous Medal because Our Lady promised:

  "those who wear it with confidence" (when blessed) "will receive abundant graces."
• Some people argue that artwork shouldn't be in churches, because:

  • Could be an inaccurate portrayal of God/Jesus
  • "Do not worship false idols"
  • Not religious
  • Distracts people from worship
  • Turns churches into tourist attractions
• Some people argue that artwork should be in churches, because:

  • Helps us connect with God and reflect on our faith
  • If we seperate beauty from truth, art and symbolism from faith, religion is reduced to words
  • Express faith in a creative way
  • Allows the illiterate to learn about God
• "images of beauty, in which the mysteries of the invisible God become visible, are an essential part of Christian worship." - Pope Benedict XVI, The Spirit of the Liturgy