Keeping the Faith: Additional Artwork

A Slideshow of More Art Relating to Faith

Art has recorded society's acceptance and repudiation of faith for centuries. This slideshow is a gallery of more artwork that exhibits people's trust in their belief systems, as well as some of their crises of faith. The virtual gallery below is organized chronologically according to historical context, so it is a timeline of artwork that spans history from the Middle Ages to the present.

An Introduction to "Keeping the Faith":

Throughout history, people have turned to faith and rejected it time and time again. The ability to believe in someone or something is a characteristic that is uniquely human; likewise, people have the capability to stop accepting faith when certain events or experiences challenge their belief systems. Art such as the song “My Father, How Long?” and Leni Riefenstahl’s film Triumph of the Will shows people’s attraction to faith at certain historical moments. In other time periods, people have strayed away from religion and national belief, which Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, Raphael’s The School of Athens, and Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” all express artistically. Historical context influences the strength of people’s faith, whether it is in religion, a political leader, or cultural values. Through various kinds of art, this blog explores the reasons behind why people at different points in time have either “kept the faith” or questioned it.

Outside Link: Hope in Times of Despair

Countless times during the course of human history, people have turned to faith as a comfort and a source of hope. Faith in a religion, a person, or an ideal can offer solace to those who experience hardship in their lives. Even people who live under the most difficult of circumstances find a way to cope with desperation by having hope in someone or something. Kelly's blog "Hope in Times of Despair" demonstrates humans' capability to have both faith and hope during periods of suffering.

Giotto's Deposition of Christ and Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," both of which can be found on the outside link, share a connection with the song "My Father, How Long?" from this blog. Giotto's painting represents the hope Jesus' followers have in a heavenly afterlife because of their faith in Christ. Similarly, the slave song shows that African Americans had faith Jesus would help them reach heaven one day, giving them something to live for in a life characterized by abuse and pain. The slaves also put their faith and hope into the idea that they would one day be free. Maya Angelou sends a parallel message of finding hope in eventually obtaining freedom through determination in her poem. The theme of "Hope in Times of Despair" and several of the works displayed on the site connect to the reasoning behind why people choose to accept faith.

Outside Link: Perseverance in the Face of the Church

Though faith is not necessarily synonymous with religion, historically, some of the most prominent belief systems have been religious. Therefore, for many, a crisis of faith often entails having heretic ideas that contradict a religious institution. Establishments such as the Christian Church and the Islamic Regime have been or are currently domineering to the point that they cause their followers to question the very religious ideals they preach. However, choosing to reject a powerful institution's dogma is not easy; it requires persistence and determination, as shown by the art on Nick's blog "Perseverance in the Face of the Church." The site's artwork demonstrates that throughout history, people have persevered through religious persecution because they challenged their society's faith and popular beliefs.

A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery, a painting that can be found on the outside link, is similar to The School of Athens from "Keeping the Faith" in its regard for knowledge over religion. Created during the Scientific Revolution, it highlights the idea of heliocentrism with a representation of a solar system, which contradicted the Church's belief in geocentrism. The focus becomes science, not God, just as the focus in The School of Athens is humanism and knowledge rather than religion. Both paintings put greater value on philosophy and science than religious devotion, disagreeing with Christian doctrine from their respective historical moments. The outside link and this blog also both have art that displays a crisis of faith as a result of corruption. Persepolis and Luther in 1533 both show people deviating from their religion because they found the institution in power to be unethical. The characters in Persepolis come to question Islam after they feel they have been betrayed by their Islamic government, just as Martin Luther rejects the Catholic Church because he feels its selling of indulgences is corrupt. Overall, the blog "Perseverance in the Face of the Church" is great link to visit to view art focused on how people challenge religious institutions.

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Additional Artwork