Way of Beauty

The art known as Gothic began in the middle of the 12th century in France. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the Gothic language or the Gothic ethnicity; the name Gothic was first used as an insult by its detractors.  The aesthetic ideas…

Certainly one of the most gifted and original painters of all time, Caravaggio (1571–1610) was also a moral shipwreck of the first order. The dramatic play of shadows that is the characteristic mark of his style somehow reflects the…

In addition to elaborate or even simple processions, one way in which many Catholics have expressed their devotion toward the feast of Corpus Christi is through works of art. If one were to look at Christian art throughout the centuries,…

Few introductions to the history of art recount — and still fewer museum exhibitions today display — the remarkable productions of a movement called Les Ateliers d’art sacré. Unlike so many of the masterpieces that we enjoy today in the…

"Moses" by Michelangelo in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome.

by Elizabeth Lev Michelangelo’s first masterpiece, the Pietà, was concocted out of the most unlikely ingredients: a rookie sculptor known for pagan subjects, a worldly pope whose name was synonymous with corruption, and subject matter not…

When looking at the Disputation over the Most Holy Sacrament, or The Disputa, a fresco created by Italian Renaissance painter Raphael, one thing stands out most: its emphasis on the Eucharist. Measuring 200 inches by 300 inches, The…

Among the most well-known early Church leaders are Sts. Peter and Paul. These two remarkable men had very different beginnings, yet would go on to become Jesus’ foremost apostles and would eventually be martyred for their faith. Peter, a…

St. James holds an important role in the Catholic faith. Not only was he one of Jesus’ original Twelve Apostles who was present at the Transfiguration, he is believed to have carried out Jesus’ ministry to the far reaches of Europe,…

Pentecost is one of the most important feast days in the liturgical year. It is the day where, 50 days after Easter and 10 days after Jesus’ ascension, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Twelve Apostles and the Virgin Mary, appearing as…