Sacred Art Every Catholic Should Know

For centuries, the Catholic Church served the cultural role of the principal patron of the arts. It is a historical fact that many of the world's most admired and treasured artistic masterworks are Christian in theme, origin, and location. There has never been a time in history when artists have not found inspiration and flourishing in the Catholic tradition. From the rustic art of the ancient Christian catacombs to majestic Byzantine basilicas, from the soaring Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages to the creative torrent of the Renaissance, from the mysticism of the Baroque to the present day, the truth and goodness of the Catholic faith has taken the form of the beautiful in masterpieces of sacred art that form an immense, enduring artistic heritage. 

• Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper
• Michelangelo's Pièta and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
• Rublev's The Trinity
• Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece
• Fra Angelico's Annunciation
• Raphael's The Disputation of the Most Holy Sacrament
• Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
• Caravaggio's The Calling of Saint Matthew
• El Greco's Pentecost