A Soul Brought to Heaven, William-Adolphe Bouguereau
A Soul Brought to Heaven was painted in 1878 by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, a French academic painter well-known for his realistic genre painting and his works with mythological themes. The artist's high minded historical, mythological, and religious genre scenes were always showered with official honors and sold for high prices during his lifetime. This painting is a pure evocation of his personal misfortune in 1877 when he lost his wife and infant son.
This colossal painting portrays the body of a young girl being escorted by two angels through the filmy clouds towards a destination very high. A silhouette of another angel is clearly visible in the background symbolizing heaven. The falling bouquet of flowers, meant to be offered on earth symbolizes the painter's poignancy and grief of the loss of his beloved. The painting is a depiction of his loss, his fervent hope in their salvation, and his belief to meet them in heaven. This masterpiece is currently preserved at the Perigord Museum of Art and Archaeology in France.
The Sistine Madonna, Raphael
Regarded as one of the greatest Christianity arts of the Italian Renaissance, “The Sistine Madonna” was Raphael's last painting finished with his own hands. The painting has been greatly praised by many notable critics, including Giorgio Vasari who called it a ''truly rare and extraordinary work.'' The painting takes its beautiful name from the famous Church of San Sisto in Piacenza and has moved from country to country during World War II. However, it is currently housed in Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden, Germany.
The angel painting commissioned by Pope Julius II depicts the Virgin Mary holding the baby Christ in her arms. Beneath her are two baby angels resting on their elbows and gazing at Mother Mary, while she is surrounded by the benevolent Saint Sixtus and Barbara.
Songs of the Angels, Bouguereau
“Songs of the Angel” is one of William-Adolphe Bouguereau's most famous and beloved works. The painting is an example of the artist's preference for the inclusion of women and children in his painting. Bouguereau's feminine topic was always combined with classical scenes such as the mythological angels in art.
The painting illustrates three idealized angels playing musical instruments while a heavenly light illuminates their serenade. The angels in art play violin and lute while baby Christ is sleeping in Mother Mary's lap. This masterpiece by Bouguereau is a testament to the artist's remarkable discipline in his creative life.
The Light of the World, William Holman Hunt
''I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life!''
The world-famous painting ''The Light of the world'' by William Holman Hunt was inspired by this very statement by Jesus Christ. This Christianity masterpiece created in between 1851 and 1853 is currently located in the Keble College, Oxford, and holds a very deep spiritual meaning.
This artwork of Hunt represents the figure of Jesus Christ preparing to knock on an old unopened-wooden door, covered with overgrown foliage and dead leaves from the tree. The door in the painting symbolizes the human brain or human soul which cannot be opened from outside. There are two lights shown in the painting: one being the lantern which represents the light of conscience and the light around the head of Christ is the light of salvation.
Creation of Adam, Michelangelo Buonarroti
The Creation of Adam is a segment of Michelangelo Buonarroti's Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which is one of the artist's most known Christianity art. Painted in 1510, the work was commissioned by Pope Julius II himself and holds a very deep mystical belief. This marvelous painting is spiritual in nature as it illustrates the moment when God gave life to Adam, the first man of the holy world.
Looking closer to the picture, we can see Adam resting with one arm on the ground and the other stretched out towards God. This evident image depicts the divine birth of Biblical Adam according to the passage in the Book of Genesis. The spiritual meaning of the painting can also be explained as, ‘the moment of transference of knowledge from God to human.’ The painting also tends to describe the ‘mutual desire of God and humanity for one another,’ while on the other hand, it highlights ‘humanity’s separation from God.’