Religious Art

Artists are able to emphasize religious elements of artwork in many different ways. They can depict specific gods or supernatural beings. They can show the spirits of the natural world. They can emphasize how the natural world communicates with the spirit world. Lastly, they can portray the sacred buildings used to practice and worship the belief systems of the people using them. Art is a powerful way to show the importance of spirituality and religion.
The first work of art that should be examined is the image of the ascent of the Prophet Muhammad. This was produced around 1540 A.D. This image is a manuscript painting, a painting that entails exceptional details of a written manuscript. This image shows Muhammad, the main prophet of Islam, on his way to the heavens where Allah (God) was located. The artist does not show the face of Muhammad, which is customary of Muslim art. Muhammad was a very sacred person, so people were not supposed to show his image. Muhammad is being led through his journey by an angel (Gabriel). The image shows him surrounded by blinding flames, which is supposed to symbolize his glory and …show more content…
This image was painted by Giotto around 1310 A.D. The work portrays Mary, the Virgin, holding Jesus Christ, the soon to be savior of the world. The artist shows great detail of the people in the image. Giotto emphasized the two by seating them on a throne in the center and by making them larger than the surroundings. This shows how important these two are compared to others, and it brings the focus to them. The people in the image seem to be worshipping or praising them. The throne in the center has great detail, along with the actual people in the painting. Giotto seems to focus on creating an image that is a more realistic representation of the scene. The image shows that Jesus Christ is