Encounter the Catholic Imaginative Vision as it is incarnated in works of art, architecture, and literature, as well as in the artists and intellectuals who have given it further expression. With one post per week, explore the expression of the Church across times and cultures.
Like all things genuinely Christian, the ancient Monastery of Mar Saba has been no stranger to conflict and controversy as it has borne witness to the Gospel throughout the ages.
On the massive "Maestà," Sienese painter Duccio tells multiple stories within his depiction of the Nativity and sets the scene amongst the context of the Old Testament prophets.
Through the potency of a storm at sea and the power of Christ's words, Dutch master Rembrandt leaves the Christian viewer challenged and in awe.
In the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, Mary, Queen of Peace, is depicted beckoning out to the world, "Basta! Enough! Stop the violence and war!"
A century ago, the people of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, actively entrusted their city and nation to Christ, manifesting his invisible kingship in a now-iconic statue.
A soldier frozen in worldly shame, a saint on the cusp of eternal glory.
The Divine Mercy image is less known for its place in art history textbooks than it is for its inspiration: Jesus himself requested the image be painted and venerated.
In "The Transfiguration," Raphael interweaves the glory of Christ made manifest in the Transfiguration, the suffering of humanity shown in a young demoniac, and the intercessory role of the Church.
Giotto's realistic approach to painting breathed new life into the scenes he depicted, bringing a human element into stories from the life of Christ and the life of St. Francis of Assisi.
Michelangelo's Pietà captures a serene moment of surrender, as the Virgin Mary cradles the body of her crucified son in her lap.
Pilgrims have ascended Mount Tabor in southern Galilee for centuries to venerate the place where Peter, James, and John witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ.