Bible themes in fine arts. Biblical scenes in painting

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Almost since the very appearance of mankind, it has been brought up on the parables and songs that are given in the Bible. In our time, the Bible has come through many centuries, overcoming many difficulties. She was forbidden to read, destroyed, burned in the fire, but she is still intact. It took eighteen centuries to create it, about 30 of the most brilliant authors who lived in different years and eras were engaged in it, in total 66 books of the Bible were written in different languages.

According to the school curriculum, children must be told about biblical themes in the visual arts. Art in school thus introduces students to the biblical characters and stories described in the book.

Bible scenes in painting. The great artist Rembrandt

Great artists of the world have used biblical themes in fine art. Perhaps the brilliant artist Rembrandt left his mark more clearly. He was able to very truthfully and really sincerely show the inexhaustible richness of the inner world of a person through biblical scenes in painting. His characters are like ordinary people, contemporaries, among whom the artist lived.

BIn a simple person, Rembrandt could see inner integrity, nobility and spiritual greatness. He managed to convey in the picture the most beautiful qualities of a person. His canvases are filled with genuine human passions, a vivid confirmation of this is the painting "Descent from the Cross" (1634). The famous painting is “Assur, Haman and Esther”, written according to the biblical myth, which tells how Haman slandered the Jews before King Assur, wanting their death pen alty, and Queen Esther managed to reveal the insidious lie.

Mysterious Brueghel

In the history of art it is difficult to find a more mysterious and controversial painter than Brueghel. He did not leave behind any notes, treatises or articles about his life, he did not draw self-portraits or portraits of his loved ones. On his canvases, biblical themes in the visual arts are shrouded in mystery, the characters do not have memorable faces, and all the figures are devoid of individuality. In his paintings you can see the Lord and the Blessed Mary, Christ and John the Baptist. The canvas "The Adoration of the Magi" is, as it were, covered with a snow-white veil. That is why the pictures are so attractive. Looking at them, I want to unravel the mystery.

Brueghel's biblical heroes are depicted among contemporaries, they lead their everyday life on the Flemish city streets and in the countryside. For example, the Savior, burdened with the weight of his cross, is lost among the many ordinary people who do not even suspect that they are doing their moralchoice by looking at God.

Paintings of Caravaggio

The great Caravaggio painted canvases that amaze with their unusualness; to this day they cause heated debate between connoisseurs of art. Despite the fact that in the Renaissance the favorite theme for painting were holiday scenes, Caravaggio remained true to himself, his tragic theme. On his canvases, people experience terrible torment and inhuman suffering. Biblical themes in the fine arts of the artist can be traced on the canvases "The Crucifixion of St. Peter", which depicts the execution of the apostle, crucified upside down on the cross, and "The Entombment" depicting a folk drama.

In his paintings there is always everyday life and everyday life of human life. He in every possible way despised paintings with a fictitious plot, that is, not copied from life; for him, such canvases were trinkets and childish fun. I was sure that only canvases depicting real life can be considered real art.

Iconography

In Russia, icon painting appeared in the X century, after Russia in 988 adopted the Byzantine religion - Christianity. In Byzantium at that time, icon painting and the plots of the Old Testament in the visual arts turned into a strict, canonical image system. Worship of icons has become a major part of the doctrine and worship.

For a couple of centuries in Russia, only iconography was the subject of painting, through which ordinary people were introduced to beautiful art. Depicting moments from the life of Christ,Virgin Mary and the Apostles, icon painters tried to express their individual idea of good and evil.

Icon painters always had to adhere to strict rules, they could not depict a fictional or fantasized plot. But at the same time, they were not deprived of the opportunity to create, it was possible to interpret biblical scenes in the visual arts at their own discretion, choosing a different combination of colors. The icons of some icon painters differ among others in their special writing style.

Icons of Andrey Rublev

Often the subject of scientific discussions is the belonging of individual icons to the work of Rublev. The only work that Rublev accurately wrote is the Trinity icon. The authorship of the rest is still in doubt.

The "Trinity" depicts the extraordinary simplicity and "taciturnity" of the biblical event. With the greatest skill, the artist singled out precisely those details that help to recreate the idea of the ongoing event - this is a mountain symbolizing the desert, Abraham's chamber and the Mamre oak. Thanks to this icon, art that simply illustrates the Bible has become cognizant. Previously, no one dared to such a reincarnation of the sacred text in the picture.

Old Russian painting has always clearly followed the biblical text, its initial task was to recreate the image, which tells the Bible and the Gospel. Rublev managed to reveal the philosophical meaning of the biblical scripture.

Plots of the New and Old Testament and biblical themes in the pictorialart

Plots from the New and Old Testament occupy one of the main places in Christian painting. Depicting biblical scenes, the artist must transfer the sacred text to the canvas, contribute to understanding, enhance emotional perception and strengthen faith. Therefore, the visual arts and the Bible are closely related, their history has changed together.

Christian art was not easy to reproduce biblical scenes. Talented artists have created stunning paintings, each one is unique because it tells a Biblical story in a special way.

Initially, Christianity emerged as a new teaching in Judaism, so early Christian art was dominated by scenes from the Old Testament. But then Christianity began to move away from Judaism and the artists began to depict scenes from the New Testament.

Abraham in fine arts

One of the characters that unites several faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) is Abraham. Several faces are combined in his image:

• the ancestor of the Jews, and through the children of Hagar and Ketura - different Arab tribes;
• the founder of Judaism, personifying the ideal of devotion to the faith;
• protector of humanity before God and a warrior hero.

In Jewish and Christian ideas, there is the concept of "Abraham's Bosom" - this is a special otherworldly place for the repose of the dead righteous. In painting, Abraham is depicted sitting on his knees, in his bosom or in his womb the souls of believers in the form of children sit. This can be seen on the canvases "GoldenGate", "Prince's Portal".

The Sacrifice of Isaac

But the most beloved plot associated with Abraham is the sacrifice.

The biblical scripture tells how God asked Abraham to burn his son Isaac to prove his devotion. The father built an altar on Mount Moriah, and at the last moment of the sacrifice of Isaac, an angel appeared to them and stopped him. Instead of a child, a lamb was burned.

Such a dramatic episode leads to the deepest reflections on God's justice.

Bible themes in the visual arts have always attracted artists. Despite the fact that biblical stories are long gone, the painters manage to reflect the modern reality of life through them.