Art and Anthropology

Explaining the Styles of Christian Art with Reference to the Writing of John Paul II and Benedict XVI

David Clayton

In this presentation, I will consider how Christian anthropology as presented in St Pope John Paul II’s Theology
of the Body can give us an understanding of the different ​styles ​of traditional Christian art.

In his weekly addresses, John Paul II called for artists today to present the human form in an ordered way so
as to contribute to a realignment of the dis-ordered view of the human person that is so prevalent in the
modern world. This presentation also considers what that art might look like, in the view of John Paul II.

Suggested reading

Documents from the Vatican website:

● The Letter to Artists, 1999, St Pope JPII
● The Theology of the Body, St Pope JPII
● An address at the celebration of the unveiling of the restorations of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the
Sistine Chapel, 1994, St Pope JPII

Books
● The Spirit of the Liturgy​, Benedict XVI
● Baroque​ - John Rupert Martin
● The Meaning of Icons,​ Ouspensky and Lossky
● The Techniques of Icon and Wall Painting​ - Adian Hart
● A World History of Art​ (7th edition or earlier) - Honour and Fleming.

Books by David Clayton relevant to this subject, ​available from ​thewayofbeauty.org/books/

● The Way of Beauty: Liturgy, Education, and Inspiration for Family, School, and College
● Painting the Nude: The Theology of the Body and the Representation of Man in Christian Art
● The Master of Sacred Arts (​www.Pontifex.University​) ; the MA in the Theology of the Body and the New
Evangelization (offered in conjunction with the Theology of the Body Institute).

Notes for talk

Anthropology - The three aspects of man

● Original man
● Historical man
● Eschatological man

The three existing authentic ​liturgical​ traditions of Christian art according to Benedict XVI:
● Iconographic art - all Christian art prior to the 13th century, East and West, used in the Eastern Church
today. From the middle of the 20th century, there has been a re-establishment of the iconic tradition in
which new forms, consistent with the prototype, are being created. The present age is a golden age of
iconography.
● Gothic art - art in the West from approximately the mid-13th century to the Renaissance
● Baroque art - the art of the 17th century

These styles of art were developed to communicate different aspects of man:

● Iconographic style - Eschatological man
● Baroque - Historical Man
● Gothic - the art of pilgrimage, the Christian baptized who are in this life, by degrees, partaking of the
divine nature. It might be characterized therefore as the art of the New Evangelisation.

There is no style that was developed to communicate Original Man

● St John Paul II asks artists to create the art of original man, man ‘naked without shame’.
● He makes the point very clearly that there are ​two ​aspects to this
○ First, ​content​: the human body - artists have enthusiastically followed this guideline.
○ Second, the ​style​ must reflect the theology too. This point is virtually ignored by artists, in my
experience.

St Pope John Paul II suggestions for where we can start stylistically:

● Iconography
● Classical Greek art and works by those artists whose styles closely follow this, eg Michelangelo. -
‘idealized naturalism’.
● NOT 19th-century realism, or similar highly naturalistic styles such as the baroque.

The inscriptions on the icons in Greek

● IC XC​ - The first and last letters for ​the monogram ΙϹΧϹ (with an overline indicating scribal
abbreviation) is used for Ἰησοῦς Χριστός in both Greek and Cyrillic tradition.
● O Ѡ N - ​In three visible sides of the cross within the halo, the Greek word ​O Ѡ N i​ s written, which means
“I AM”. That manner appeared in the 11th century. This inscription highlights the Divine nature of Jesus
Christ in accordance with the revelation Moses got from the bush: “I am Who I am” (Exodus 3:14).
● ΜΠ ΘY​ - Greek: short for Μητερ Θεου, Mother of God