Touching the Sacred

Inspired by faith, the holy imagery has long been a part of many religions. These gloriously creative representations of the stories and holy beings began as a teaching device for the believers, many of whom were unable to read.

Touching the Sacred focuses on imagery from two branches of Christianity – the Orthodox and the Catholic traditions and how the depictions developed by each are similar and how they differ.

These depictions range from paintings of saints, angels, and the Holy Family on canvas, wood, bronze, and tin panels, to carvings of them completely in wood or with modeled heads and hands and cloth bodies which were sumptuously clothed.

Over the centuries, these venerated representations of holiness have evolved from teaching tools into a sacred art form.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website