How are deities and places of worship depicted in art and architecture?

1. Deities and Places of Worship
Humans strive constantly to grasp divine realm through:
→rituals
→oral tradition
→sacred writings
→meditation
→prayer
→music
And art.

2. Images of Spiritual Beings
The supernatural realm lies beyond
our senses, yet in almost every age
and culture, people have created
diagrams, symbols, and pictures
that express to some extent their
understanding of divinity.

3. Early Deities
Polytheism - the belief in many gods.
The Earth Mother - first of the polytheistic gods,
the giver of life, fertility and the carrier of
death.
In ancient myths the Goddess existed first. She
created her male counterpart, she mated
with him to produce the rest of Creation.
The Snake goddess likely evolved from the Earth
Mother; she represents male and female
regenerative powers.

4. The Greek Gods
Ancient Greeks believed all life on
earth began with Gaia, the Earth
Goddess, the Greek gods of
Olympus were her descendants.
Greek gods were always portrayed in
human form.
The earliest figures were stiff and
frontal without fluid movement.
Later Classic depictions had
convincing anatomy and
movement - were idealized and
flawless.

5. Hinduism
PantheismPantheism - belief that a divine
spirit pervades all things in the
universe.
Hinduism -Hinduism - appears to have numerous
gods, but it is pantheism, rather
than polytheism.
All of their “gods” are manifestations, or
“avatars,” of a divine universal spirit
- Brahman the Unbounded

6. Buddhism
BuddhismBuddhism - follows the teachings of
Siddhartha Gautama.
For several hundred years after his death,
Buddha was represented by a set of
symbols, but never as a human.

7. Buddhism
One symbol for Sakyamuni was the stupastupa, a sign of his death and of
attainment of nirvana.
Originally, a stupa was a mound tomb. It eventually was transformed
into a monument that contained the ashes or relics of a Buddha.

8. Buddhism
Over the centuries, Buddhist beliefs
became more complex.
Bodhisattvas are living beings who
have attained Buddhahood but have
chosen to remain on earth to help
others. The Bodhisattvas are
immediate personal intercessors
who give aid.
Depictions of Guanyin vary radically,
with two to twelve arms, often
crowned, sometimes with a
muscular male body and sometimes
with an effeminate body

9. Judaism
MonotheismMonotheism
Monotheism the belief in one god and that there is no other.
Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions of the Western world
and also the foundation of Christianity and Islam.

10. Christianity
ChristianityChristianity -- has many kinds of
images of God. Some understand
God as a single being, others
conceive of God as a Trinity.
As an actual historical figure, Jesus is
the most commonly depicted:
→as a shepherd
→as a royal ruler
→as miracle worker
→as a judge
→as a teacher
→as a beautiful child
→as a dying man

11. Christianity
The Isenheim Altarpiece, shows Jesus at death, a moment both of
annihilation and of redemption from sin.

12. Islam
Islam -Islam - founded by Mohammed in 7th
C. Arabia. IslamIslam believes in
complete submission to Allah, the
same deity of the Jewish and
Christian and faiths.
Islam’s sacred scriptures, the Koran,
contain its the articles
of faith.
Images of Allah are forbidden, but the
Prophet Mohammed is sometimes
shown in art.

13. Human Response to God
HUMANS RESPOND TO GODHUMANS RESPOND TO GOD - religious ceremonies, prayers,
and rituals acknowledge God and request what is needed for
earthly or spiritual existence.
Many religions require humans to make offerings to the gods, as
outward signs of their devotion.
Art frequently is part of this process.

14. Ceremonies
CeremoniesCeremonies
The Kwakiutl of the Northwest
coast built special houses for
the winter ceremonies.
Performers in full masquerade
told stories and became the
supernatural beings of their
masks.

15. Offerings
The Balinese commemorate religious days by giving handmade offerings.
They regard these offerings as artworks and consider many of their people
to be artists.
Religion and art are integrated components of everyday life.

16. Offerings
OfferingsOfferings
In central Mexico, believers leave small votive paintings called retablosretablos at
important religious shrines, as a form of prayer and thanks.

17. Sacrifices
SacrificesSacrifices - various forms of
religious blood sacrifices have
been practiced throughout the
ages.
Judeo-Christian religions have a
history of blood sacrifice. One
concerns Abraham, who
prepared to kill his son Isaac at
God’s command but at the last
minute allowed to substitute a
ram.

18. Sacrifices
In other cultures, human offerings to
deities also involved blood
sacrifice.
Various Mesoamerican cultures—
Maya, Toltec, Aztec, and others
practiced blood sacrifice to the
sun.

19. Prayers
The Power Figure is an art object
used as a form of prayer to
counter the evil influence of
enemies---human, animal, or
spiritual.
Shamans activate them, placing
medicines in the figure’s
abdomen or in the back or head.
The figure’s power is released by
driving in a metal nail or blade
for each request for help.

20. Prayers
PrayerPrayer - is a vehicle of communication
between human beings and the
gods, and it may take many forms.
The Hopis of North America, make
small sculptures as a form of prayer.
They believe that kachinas, or spirits of
dead, dwell in their community for 6
months in winter and spring.
Kachinas ensure the welfare of the
community and sufficient moisture
for crops.

21. The CosmosThe CosmosThe Cosmos
Artists in different traditions have made
works that map the cosmos,
showing:
→the origin of the world
→the structure of the
universe
→spiritual beings
→the place of humans in
relation to the gods
→a diagram of time

22. The Cosmos

23. Places of Worship
PLACES OF WORSHIP AND THEIR GENERALPLACES OF WORSHIP AND THEIR GENERAL
CHARACTERISTICSCHARACTERISTICS
Since prehistory, people have set aside special places for
religious worship. They are designed to reveal something
about the spiritual realm and provide an experience
beyond the mundane.

24. Housing sacred objects
Housing SacredHousing Sacred
ObjectsObjects
Many places of worship were
built specifically to house
a sacred image, text, or
artifact.
In the Jewish religion, the
most holy structure is
called the Ark of the
Covenant, a special
tabernacle to hold sacred
objects.

25. Incorporating elements of nature
Incorporating Elements of Nature -Incorporating Elements of Nature -
Places of worship can be natural sites:
→mountains - meeting places between heaven and earth
→sacred trees or groves, dwelling places of divine beings
→rocks can be seen as containers or symbols for spirits
and deities
→earth and water are the sources or sustainers of life
→fire, light, and the sun are divine symbols or sometimes
spirits themselves

26. Incorporating elements of nature
The Main Shrine at Ise is made of natural materials - wood and thatch.
It is rebuilt every twenty years to exactly the same specifications. builders
observe careful rituals and express gratitude as they take wood from the
forest.
The wood is left plain and unpainted to retain its natural character, and it is
carefully fitted and joined with pegs. Nails are not used.

27. Providing sites for sacred
ceremonies
Stonehenge is an altar
and
an astronomical device
mapping solar and
planetary movement.
The arrangement marks the
midsummer solstice,
essential to an agrarian
civilization dependent on
successful crop planting.

28. Using Geometry
Symbolically
The Pantheon is a shrine to the chief deities of
the Roman Empire.
The entire structure is symmetrical, both inside
and out, and creates the impression of
loftiness, simplicity, and balance.
→a142-foot-diameter sphere fits
into the interior space, making
the width equal to its height
→the dome, a perfect hemisphere,
is the top half of that sphere
→a 30 foot circular opening at top
the oculus, creates a shaft of
sunlight that dramatically
illuminates the interior.
→square are inscribed in the dome
and wall surfaces and are the
basis of the pattern on the marble
inlay floor.

29. Providing destinations for
pilgrimages
Longmen Caves in China, a Buddhist pilgrimage destination is a
complex of cave-shrines for 1000s of sacred statues,
dedicated to Buddha.
The largest of these is the monumental Shrine to Vairocana
Buddha who is the universal principle dominating all life and
all phenomena.

30. Notre Dame du Haut is a Catholic chapel in the Vosges Mountains of France.
The design recalls:
→praying hands
→the wings of a dove
→the shape of a boat
Christian symbols of divine generosity to humans. To accommodate large crowds on
holy days, the church has an outdoor altar and pulpit so that services could be

31. Temple Complexes
& Large-Scale Sacred Architecture
RELIGIONS AND THEIR IMAGERY OF DEITIES AND HOLY BEINGSRELIGIONS AND THEIR IMAGERY OF DEITIES AND HOLY BEINGS
Simple geometric shapes often symbolize God:
→the sphere and dome in Islamic architecture stand for the
heavens and the oneness of God
→the circle In the Hindu religion, symbolizes the unknowable
Supreme Being
→the triangle stands for the Christian Trinity

32. TEMPLE COMPLEXES ANDTEMPLE COMPLEXES AND
LARGE-SCALE SACREDLARGE-SCALE SACRED
ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURE
Although they incorporate the
characteristics of sacred sites,
they do much more than that.
A religion that is firmly established
and tied to political power can
afford expensive, labor-
intensive, long-term projects.
Grand places of worship are
expressions of:
→temporal power
→religious power
→broad cultural values

33. The Greek Temple
With imposing size and lavish detail, these structures are spectacles,
amazing to see. In ceremonies, the individual is reduced to spectator,
part of the throng that adds to the religious importance of the site.

34. Sculpture and Relief Carving
Sculpture and Relief CarvingSculpture and Relief Carving
The Parthenon had two interior rooms for housing sacred objects.
Religious ceremonies took place outside, so originally the exterior
was richly adorned with sculpture and brightly painted.
Large sculptures of the gods stood in the pediment and near the roof,
and a long band of sculpture called a frieze, girded the top outside
walls of the Parthenon.

35. Temple Design
The Egyptian TempleThe Egyptian Temple
Egyptian temple design remained relatively constant for 3,000 years.
Temple DesignTemple Design
The Horus Temple at Edfu housed the sacred cult image of the sun falcon, Horus. Because cult
temples were believed to be the actual dwellings of the gods, they were modeled after
the residences of nobles and pharaohs.

36. Temple Design

37. The Mesoamerican temple
The Mesoamerican TempleThe Mesoamerican Temple - often took the form of a pyramid with a small
structure on top.
History and Setting - 39 miles north of Mexico City, the Teotihuacános, built a vast
religious center in a city high on a plateau surrounded by mountains called Teotihuacán,
or “Place of he Gods”.

38. Temple Painting
Temple Painting
Early temples had sculptural
ornamentation, but after the
third century, paintings were
used.
The deity is distinguished by her
larger size, frontality, and the
symmetrical patterns that
ornament her.The entire
piece shows the
Teotihuacános’ fondness for
elaborate symmetrical
patterns.

39. The Hindu Temple
The Hindu TempleThe Hindu Temple
Theology and Temple DesignTheology and Temple Design
Hinduism is based on 2 belief systems. The first is nature-based and
venerates the spirits responsible for the plant and animal life in India,
the concept of reincarnation, an infinitely repeating cycle of life and
death is attached to this belief.

40. The Gothic Cathedral
The Gothic CathedralThe Gothic Cathedral - is one of
the most famous forms of a
Catholic church. Christians saw
the church as the heavenly
Jerusalem on earth.
Gothic cathedrals were all funded
by and built in cities, indicating
the rise of cities and
monarchies and a decline in
feudalism.
The modern humanist view that
values the individual was
beginning to develop at this
time.

41. Window Design
The Rose Window, from on the north
transept of Chartres shows Old
Testament prophets and kings
surrounding Mary with her child
Jesus.
Geometry was used to locate the small
scenes in this window by inscribing
and rotating squares within a circle.
The window is shaped like a blooming
rose, a symbol of Mary.

42. The Buddhist Temple

43. Design of a Pagoda Temple
The Buddhist TempleThe Buddhist Temple
Distinct versions of Buddhist temples sprang up in India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia,
China, Japan, and Korea.

44. The Islamic MosqueThe Islamic Mosque - it is
thought that the plan of
Mohammed’s house in
Medina influenced the design
of early mosques.
On the wall facing Mecca was
the mihrab, a special marker
niche.
A stepped pulpit called the
minbar was usually located
next to the mihrab.
The tall minarets could be seen
from afar, giving hope to
weary travelers.
There are no icons, statues, or
images in Islamic worship or
in mosques.

45. Pattern
In many religions, God is not
pictured.
Most African religions and the
Hindu religion recognize a
completely unknowable
Supreme Being.
In the Islamic religion, Allah is never
depicted.