The ancient concept of religion has always been and remains one of the fundamental parts of people’s existence. This immemorial phenomenon has long altered the way we live our lives. The historical impact of religion is vast, but what really makes minds agitated is how rich and deep religious art is in reality.
From Christian to Buddhist, Jewish to Islamic, art has been central to the development of cultures and nations across the globe. Thousand of years ago, it divided into several distinct parts to erect new cultural concepts in societies. So, what are the major types of religious art developed historically?
Major types of religious art
Painting & iconography
Symbolism is the key element of paintings and icons depicting religious figures and stories, often with a complex moral narrative. Antique religious icons hold a special place here due to their vivid portrayal and illustration of scenes and events that played a significant role in our history.
Sculpture & architecture
This form of art dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was common to curve walls and mount statues of deities. One more example is Roman mosaics as a representation of religious ideas in a beautifully terse form. Also, let’s not forget about stained glass that you might encounter in many churches and cathedrals around the world.
Sacred music
You must have heard about psalm chanting. Sacred music is a specific attribute of Christian art, used by believers as a form of worship. The idea of sacred music originated long ago but developed in Renaissance Europe, bringing new branches to music traditions of the time.
Ritual dance
Last but not least on this list is the art of dance, which also has its part in religion. The most known example is African culture. People wearing symbolic masks and costumes of animals and spirits are dancing during the ritual or certain ceremony in celebration of their gods.
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