Christian Art in museums

[Lamb]

When I walk around any big city museum, I'm really left with a sense of how Christianity was a big influence on art. I wonder if current or future generations of artists will continue to play a big role in art?

 

[Lanman87]

I think it will play some role but not near what it has in the past. Mainly because the medieval and renaissance periods were a "Christian" society, at least publicly. In our post enlightenment age we are in an individualism and secular society.

We don't have near as many great artist creating music, art, and literature with a Christian theme that is consumed by masses. In our age Christian art, music, and literature is mainly consumed by Christians only.

Every once in a while we will have a decent Christian themed movie and every once is a while a Christian song will cross over to secular radio (I Can Only Imagine comes to mind) but those are the exceptions and not the norm. But I doubt we have anything to rival Handel's Messiah or anyone with the cultural influence of Michelangelo or the influence of the writings of C.S. Lewis.

 

[Lamb]

I studied Art Appreciation in high school, and we learned how the Church in Rome would pay for the artists to do Christian art such as fresco, mosaics, sculpture, and manuscript illumination. It was really interesting to see how they wanted to teach people about the bible through art.