Michelangelo’s fresco of “The Last Judgment,” covering the wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, is being restored. The work, which started on Feb. 1, 2026, is expected to continue for three months.
Storytelling as creative resistance
I have no doubt that the daily drama of American crises is causing a lot of art to be created — and viewed. “Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for…
The sorrows of motherhood: Depictions of Mary’s sadness at the death of Christ
Sometimes art tells a heartwrenching story better than words. Perhaps the greatest example of this is found in the three broad categories of Christian art depicting the sorrows of Mary after the death of Jesus: Pietá (pity; Italian), Mater Dolorosa…
Is God male?
Christians believe Jesus is the ultimate reflection of God, so is God also male? Centuries of European art has taught, normalized and legitimized how to see the Divine. But insisting on the maleness of God ignores the times God is depicted in feminine language.