Neither words nor images fully capture the Christian God. Despite this inherent difficulty, painters still tried.
The National Gallery (London)
Empty, blank, or unfinished spaces leave paintings open to the viewer and create compelling ambiguities.
Unspeakable images: when words fail
In paintings as in sacred spaces, curtains play with revelation and draw attention to the limits of human vision.
So near and yet so far: visions ...
Temporal and spatial ambiguity imbue two images of the Virgin and Child—and this portrait of Christ’s suffering.
This world and the next: Christ on ...
Like place, time is an important theological category and, like the divine, it can be hard to comprehend.
Time and eternity: Yesterday, today, and always
Renaissance painters like Lippi devised spatial metaphors in order to convey the mystery of Christ’s conception.
Putting God in his place: here, everywhere, ...
Where does a painting end and our reality begin? Crivelli’s humble snail prompts more questions than answers.
Christ is not like a snail: Signs ...
Frames can be bold or plain, hard or soft, new or old—in every case, they’re essential to the viewing experience.
Behind the scenes of the framing department ...
Pigments mixed with oil look glossy, whereas those mixed with egg yolk appear matte and flat even when layered.
Making Green: Tempera versus Oil
How can paint ingredients be identified? Scientists examine tiny samples and prepare pigments from old recipes.
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