The Bible in Art: The Old Testament

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Drury, John. Painting the Word: Christian Pictures and their Meanings. New Haven, CT, and London: Yale University Press/National Gallery Publications, 1999. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV But if it’s not to get rich or elevate ourselves, then what’s the purpose of working hard? Our hard work is intended to benefit others in some way.

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For years following my conversion, I found it difficult to read fiction or fairy tales, believing that if a book didn’t refer to God directly or indirectly, it was worldly. Every piece of artwork in our home displayed Scripture. I was determined to focus on the sacred and dismiss the secular. My intentions were good, but my beliefs were misguided. From his birth, David knew that Solomon was the one who was commanded to build the house of the Lord. Solomon knew that this would be no small project, and he needed to find the right people for the job. That doesn’t mean all of us will be skillful metal workers or jewelers. You don’t need to learn how to carve all kinds of wood or paint canvases. Moses was speaking to skilled craftsmen who were gifted by God to create garments. These aren’t just normal clothes. Of course, not all biblical art is created equal, and there have been many controversies and debates over the centuries regarding the appropriateness of certain depictions of biblical stories. Some artists have pushed the boundaries of what is considered acceptable, such as Caravaggio's gritty and realistic portrayals of biblical figures or Salvador Dali's surreal and dreamlike interpretations of the Last Supper.

It should be noted that it is inappropriate to simply accept a piece of art without discernment. All art portrays the artist’s faith and spirituality (because we are spiritual beings), so all art is in some way flawed (because humans are flawed). Also, not all things in the Bible are beautiful and calming; many biblical stories are full of distortion and dissonance. As such, biblical artwork will often tell the full story of God that includes creation, the fall, and redemption with each of its harsh realities. Though art can help you to see more clearly what a passage is communicating, God’s Word must always be the ultimate authority. David observes in Psalm 19:1 that the heavens declare God’s glory, the skies proclaiming his handiwork. We reveal His glory, as do the heavens and skies and all of God’s creation. Everything was created with purpose but also with pleasure. Does the Bible Verse about No Graven Images Mean No Art? In the Postmodern era, art has continued to focus upon the inner self for truth rather than a God that transcends time and culture. As contemporary artists look to the past for inspiration, they are forced to confront art that was deeply focused on Biblical stories and artists who not only used the Bible for inspiration but were transformed by the message within. That message, whether couched in terms of spirituality or religion, is still able to awake the deeply held desire for humans to know and become one with their Creator.

To embrace the fact that art is not limited to a canvas or clay is to free ourselves from those opinions which seek only to hinder and distract us from our God-given purpose. What Does the Bible Say about Sacred and Secular Art? Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. read more. Biblical images are not just for those who cannot read, however. Images connect with our emotions and can convey deep truths. We have a faith that includes our minds and our emotions. Images can be powerful triggers to help us both remember the stories and truths of the Bible and to be motivated toward obedience. Jesus often used varieties of figures of speech (e.g., parables, metaphors, and similes) to convey his message. The Bible describes God in the abstract (holy, eternal, infinite, etc.), but it more often describes him using powerful and emotion-filled images (Father, King, Friend, Master, Warrior, etc.).

remember that one holy way of mending the world is to sing, to write, to paint, to weave new worlds. Because the seed of your feeble-yet-faithful work fell to the ground, died, and rose again, what Christ has done through you will call forth praise from lonesome travelers long after your name is forgotten. They will know someone lived and loved there.” 4 Lessons We Can Learn from Artists in the Bible A brief introduction to the work of select modern artists who have engaged the Bible in their oeuvres, including Bacon, Chagall, Dali, Kokoschka, and Picasso.

Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers' houses. And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out. ... Suggest a Verse Enter a Verse Reference (e.g., John 3:16-17) A good piece of art can help you see the truth of a passage as well as give you “fresh eyes” for familiar passages. The artist becomes your companion, a commentator who points out details of a passage that you might have passed over in haste. Biblical art from other cultures or time periods can especially help you gain a fuller understanding of a passage that you are used to seeing through your own “cultural lenses.”

There are a growing number of introductions to the visualization of the Bible in art, primarily Christian art. Their specific content and focus reflects the interests of the authors or editors. Some introduce wider issues of aesthetics and theology in biblical art and religious art more broadly (e.g., Howes 2007). O’Kane 2008 provides a popular level survey of biblical art from early Christianity through to the modern period. Miles 1985 is also chronologically broad, but more demanding. This section also lists excellent and accessible introductions to biblical exegesis in specific time periods: Jensen 2000 covers early Christian art, Kidd 2014 discusses medieval Christian interpretation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, and Usherwood 1987 offers a brief overview of 20th-century biblical art. Ouspensky and Lossky 1989 examines Orthodox iconography. Drury 1999, though prioritizing the collection of one specific art gallery, is surprisingly broad in its reach. The highest-quality paintings, music, food, and statues all take time to create, sometimes a single piece of artwork takes years to complete. The reintroduction of fairy tales to my redeemed imagination helped me to see the Maker, his Word, and the abounding human (but sometimes Spirit-commanded) tales as inter-connected. It was like holding the intricate crystal of Scripture up to the light, seeing it lovely and complete, then discovering on the sidewalk a spray of refracted colors. The colors aren’t Scripture, nor are they the light behind it. Rather, they’re an expression of the truth, born of the light beyond, framed by the prism of revelation, and given expression on solid ground.”A scholarly yet accessible treatment of the symbolism and theological significance of western Christian art by a biblical scholar and priest, in collaboration with the National Gallery of London. Despite its focus on the National Gallery’s collection, it is wide-ranging (covering paintings from Duccio to Cézanne, many with color illustrations) and offers detailed analysis of depictions of biblical scenes, mainly from the Gospels. A broad treatment of medieval Christian visualization of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, including in sculpture, wall painting, stained glass, liturgical objects, and illustrated Bibles such as the Biblia pauperum. Kidd provides a nuanced interpretation which examines the multiple meanings typical of medieval exegesis, and the problematic aspects of Christian portrayal of Jewish characters.