Week 10: Symbolism in Religious Art

I wanted to take full advantage of this assignment. I have never been a very faithful church goer and have never really learned too much of the particulars of my religion. So i decided to take a closer look at the symbolism found in Christianity. Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena. The symbols help express the moral values of the society, the teachings of the religion, creates a sense of solidarity between religious adherents, or functions as a way to bring an adherent closer to God.
For much of Christian art color plays a main role. Although symbolic colors are rarely used in the Bible.
Black is symbolic of death and is the symbolic color for Good Friday. Black can also represent sin, which results in death. Blue, the color of the sky, is symbolic of heaven. It may also be used to symbolize truth. Brown is the color of spiritual death and degradation. Gray is the color of ash, so is sometimes used to represent repentance and may be used during Lent. Green is the color of plant life, abundant in spring. It is used to represent the triumph of life over death. Purple is the color for penitence and mourning. It is also the color of royalty. Red is the color of blood. It is also the color of fire. White is a symbol of purity, innocence, and holiness. It represents Christmas and Easter seasons. Yellow may be used to represent divinity. However, because yellow light is not pure white, it may also be used to symbolize corruption and degradation.
Each masterpiece of Christian art usually presents symbolism native to that religious sect.
Symbolism is important to any type of art, but in relation to religion, symbolism is vital to the interpretation of the art work.