Bible Art

Allegory of the Immaculate Conception
Artist: Giorgio Vasari
1541 Painting

The subject of the painting is salvation which is explained by the scrolls carried by angels on either side of Mary: "Those who Eve's fault condemned, Mary's grace set free." Mary is bathed in splendor, with the moon at her feet. In the bottom half of the painting we see Adam and Eve tied to the Tree of Original Sin, surrounded by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua and David and other prophets from the Old Testament. Samuel and St John the Baptist are shown bound only by one hand because they were blessed in the womb.

This tempera on wood painting is in The Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Altarpiece of San Zaccaria
Artist: Giovanni Bellini
1505 Painting

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Giovanni Bellini was one of the greatest Venetian painters of the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth centuries, and he made a name for himself primarily through the production of religious devotional images and altarpieces. He painted a vast number of images of the Virgin and Child, of which over sixty survive to this day. Perhaps his most famous painting is the San Zaccaria Altarpiece, located above a side altar in the Church of San Zaccaria in Venice.

The scene type often shows an anachronistic gathering of figures who did not live at the same point in history. For example, in Bellini’s painting here, we see St. Peter (first century) on the left, dressed in his typical blue and orange robes, holding onto the keys with his left hand and the book in the right. Next to him is St. Catherine of Alexandria (fourth century), who is identified as a martyr by the palm branch she holds. We can tell this is St. Catherine because of the broken wooden wheel which appears by her side. According to the traditional story of Catherine, an attempt to kill her on the wheel was prevented when the wheel broke at her touch. She was later beheaded. On the right, St. Jerome (fifth century) is depicted reading a book, and next to him is St. Lucy (fourth century), known for having her eyes gouged out (presumably as a punishment for her Christianity).

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The Bible, its themes, events and characters, are the subject of many of mankind's finest works of art.

Here, we endeavor to present a myriad of examples from the history of art.

Most items will contain information about the particular piece, and/or the artist who created it. Also, many entries provide links that will take you to the Bible story to which the image is related.

Search by Category and/or Type, or click through the pages to view and study artwork of interest.

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