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Art and Prayer: The Beauty of Turning to God
Prayer is natural for human beings, a spontaneous impulse common in all people. Yet, beyond instinct, there is a kind of prayer that’s conscious and articulate, that we have to be taught. There is an “art of prayer,” when faith and prayer become creative responses by which creatures made in the image and likeness of the Creator relate to him with help of the imagination. Timothy Verdon explores these essential interactions in this magnificent book. Richly illustrated, Monsignor Verdon explains that images work in believers as tools that teach them how to turn to God. Art and Prayer explores these interactions in detail, demonstrating that prayer can become a fruit of the sanctified imagination – a way of beauty and turning to God.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 11, 2024
There is an “art of prayer,” when faith and prayer become creative responses by which creatures made in the image and likeness of the Creator relate to him with help of the imagination. ... Richly illustrated, Monsignor Verdon explains that images work in believers as tools that teach them how to turn to God.They had me at "richly illustrated." Over the years I have become more and more attracted to paintings as keys to helping me connect more honestly and deeply with God.
The book does indeed have many gorgeous pieces of art which are wonderfully explained and made personal by the text of the book. For example, looking at both the inset and whole painting of Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ, the author takes us through what the painter hopes to show us, the importance of the original setting for the piece and it's possible impact on the monks who would have seen it daily, and the importance of interior transformation for every one of us. He then uses the painting's landscape to segue into nature, Scripture, and imagination before moving on to the next piece for inspiration. All this is by page 6, by the way.
Needless to say, I am finding this thought provoking, eye opening, and inspirational. This is a gem.
March 16, 2017
I have found this book to be such a valuable resource for my shelf. The depth of insight that Verdon brings to the paintings he discusses far outweighs what I would have thought of by looking at these paintings myself, but I do feel like the more I absorb his method of seeing into art I start being able to recognize what questions to ask to grasp a painting on my own.
Much of religious art is Catholic, but as a Protestant I have a hard time appreciating Madonnas, or pictures of the clergy. While Verdon comes from a Catholic perspective himself, he really helped me understand what is being communicated by the inclusion of Mary or different saints that I did not know the story of. This is a lesson in understanding art history, not just a religious view. The depth of his discussion made these images relatable even to me as a Protestant. Besides, the art pieces included are not limited to Catholic themes. Some of my favorites that he talks about are The Angelus by Millet and A Vineyard at Merano by Wasmann.
The theme that brings this whole collection together is prayer, as the title suggests. This is lovely. Every chapter looks at a different aspect of how art challenges our imagination to help us grapple with religious truth and turn more intentionally towards God.
Finally, I am very happy with the aesthetic quality of this piece for reference use. All the pages are high-quality, thick, and glossy. Many of the paintings fill up the page, or even two pages.
*Review copy courtesy of Paraclete Press*
Much of religious art is Catholic, but as a Protestant I have a hard time appreciating Madonnas, or pictures of the clergy. While Verdon comes from a Catholic perspective himself, he really helped me understand what is being communicated by the inclusion of Mary or different saints that I did not know the story of. This is a lesson in understanding art history, not just a religious view. The depth of his discussion made these images relatable even to me as a Protestant. Besides, the art pieces included are not limited to Catholic themes. Some of my favorites that he talks about are The Angelus by Millet and A Vineyard at Merano by Wasmann.
The theme that brings this whole collection together is prayer, as the title suggests. This is lovely. Every chapter looks at a different aspect of how art challenges our imagination to help us grapple with religious truth and turn more intentionally towards God.
Finally, I am very happy with the aesthetic quality of this piece for reference use. All the pages are high-quality, thick, and glossy. Many of the paintings fill up the page, or even two pages.
*Review copy courtesy of Paraclete Press*
June 23, 2022
This book was a treatise on prayer through the lense of art history. If you don't like art history, you probably would find this book a bit boring. I thought it was really neat how Msgr. Verdon used famous religious paintings to illustrate different aspects of how the Catholic Church thinks about prayer. On the whole a solid book that I might re-read sometime.
December 30, 2023
I started reading Verdon's Art and Prayer as part of a class on art and the Bible; the studied beauty of it made me want to read the book entire. This book especially convinced me of the participatory nature of Medieval and Renaissance sacred art. The original or intended placement--especially if over the altar--matters. Art might show us how to pray, in all the saints' multitude of methods. Art might, as in Masaccio's Holy Trinity with Mary, John, and Donors, invite us into real participation in the family of God. This art is not merely meant to be observed, but experienced.
As Verdon writes,
"[A]rt associated with the liturgy illuminates a fundamental expectation of believers, announcing a longed-for transformation by its own transformation of matter. More important, sacred images mirror--in the personages and events they illustrate--that Image in which believers themselves hope to be transformed, and indeed in this specular logic, an artwork's iconographical subject is not confined to the personage or event represented, but always includes those who contemplate their own lives in the image even as they await transformation. Such 'intersubjectivity,' moreover, touches both individuals and groups: the few worshipers present at daily Mass and the parish community fully assembled on Sunday and feasts. All are 'edified'--inwardly built up--by images seen as they hear Mass, because in that situation the images are not merely 'seen'...but rather taken part in and lived in ever new intersubjective configurations" (252).
As Verdon writes,
"[A]rt associated with the liturgy illuminates a fundamental expectation of believers, announcing a longed-for transformation by its own transformation of matter. More important, sacred images mirror--in the personages and events they illustrate--that Image in which believers themselves hope to be transformed, and indeed in this specular logic, an artwork's iconographical subject is not confined to the personage or event represented, but always includes those who contemplate their own lives in the image even as they await transformation. Such 'intersubjectivity,' moreover, touches both individuals and groups: the few worshipers present at daily Mass and the parish community fully assembled on Sunday and feasts. All are 'edified'--inwardly built up--by images seen as they hear Mass, because in that situation the images are not merely 'seen'...but rather taken part in and lived in ever new intersubjective configurations" (252).
May 31, 2024
I found this book at Half Price Bookstore and it was serendipitous because I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I had $100 to spend and when I looked up in the "Art History" section this book was facing me and I thought "wow that cover is so pretty" so I grabbed it. I miss being a student and this book felt like I was back in college again. I grew up in the church but never really felt like I was learning about the Bible from an academic perspective so it was interesting to read from this new perspective. There was so much good information in this book and I feel like it is a really great introduction into the subject of biblical art for an amateur like me. I am working to save money so I can go get my Master's in Art History and this book felt like a good start.
February 1, 2025
This is really a book about prayer, which happens to use artwork to demonstrate the author's points. There are moments of in depth discussion of the paintings, but these are within the larger discussions by the author. Overall, the works are heavily male and European. The author also has a very Roman Catholic viewpoint which at times denigrates those of other Christian traditions.
The quality of the art is excellent. The pictures are very high quality and large enough for use for contemplation.
The quality of the art is excellent. The pictures are very high quality and large enough for use for contemplation.
September 27, 2023
A book explaining how art and prayer work together, featuring just over 100 paintings, all reproduced with full page colour illustrations.
December 20, 2014
Art and Prayer. Both are human attempts at transcendence. So art has adorned houses of worship throughout human history. In Western history, the visual arts reflected the faith and practices of Christianity (and Judaism). My own theology teachers spoke of the Medieval Synthesis--the confluence of the Arts and sciences, philosophy and theology throughout much of Western History. Since the Enlightenment, there has been a great deal of fragmentation. Art today is not always representational. Sometimes it aims at deconstructing the world, worldviews, and belief itself. But historically art and prayer were joined. Art sometimes depicting prayer, calling us to prayer, or making visible the interior dimensions of our prayer.
Monsignor Timothy Verdon is the director of the Mount Tabor Centre in Barga, Italy. He directs the Diocesan Office of Sacred Art and Church Cultural Heritage, the Cathedral Foundation Museum, and the Centre for Ecumenism of the Archdiocese of Florence. As a senior cleric in the Roman Catholic Church and a respected art historian, Verdon is well acquainted with both prayer and art. In Art & Prayer: The Beauty of Turning to God, Verdon describes how the arts make visible the nature of prayer. With reference to church fathers, theologians and artists he explores the theme of prayer in Western art. The pieces that Verdon discusses are displayed in full color on beautiful glossy pages.
Most of the art that Verdon profiles is from the Medieval era (from the 6th to the 15th Century). There are a couple of pieces that are older (third century) and one piece is from the modern era (Filippo Rossi's Magnificat). But this is not a chronological exploration, it is a thematic one. Verdon explores how art helps us enter prayer in everyday life (chapter one), our spaces of prayer (chapter two, which also explores sacred architecture), liturgical prayer (chapter three), prayer of pleading (chapter four), lectio divina (chapter five), contemplative prayer (chapter six) and prayer at the hour of our death (chapter seven)
Verdon weaves theology and art, using various paintings, frescoes, reliefs and altar pieces to illustrate the Catholic tradition's wisdom on the nature of prayer. Neither art nor prayer are understood through ferocious consumption, but through thoughtful contemplation. This book requires a slow, meditative reading. I found myself flipping back and reading several sections again, I recommend this book for Artists and pray-ers alike. There is lots to digest here--I give it five stars: ★★★★★
Thank you to Paraclete Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Monsignor Timothy Verdon is the director of the Mount Tabor Centre in Barga, Italy. He directs the Diocesan Office of Sacred Art and Church Cultural Heritage, the Cathedral Foundation Museum, and the Centre for Ecumenism of the Archdiocese of Florence. As a senior cleric in the Roman Catholic Church and a respected art historian, Verdon is well acquainted with both prayer and art. In Art & Prayer: The Beauty of Turning to God, Verdon describes how the arts make visible the nature of prayer. With reference to church fathers, theologians and artists he explores the theme of prayer in Western art. The pieces that Verdon discusses are displayed in full color on beautiful glossy pages.
Most of the art that Verdon profiles is from the Medieval era (from the 6th to the 15th Century). There are a couple of pieces that are older (third century) and one piece is from the modern era (Filippo Rossi's Magnificat). But this is not a chronological exploration, it is a thematic one. Verdon explores how art helps us enter prayer in everyday life (chapter one), our spaces of prayer (chapter two, which also explores sacred architecture), liturgical prayer (chapter three), prayer of pleading (chapter four), lectio divina (chapter five), contemplative prayer (chapter six) and prayer at the hour of our death (chapter seven)
Verdon weaves theology and art, using various paintings, frescoes, reliefs and altar pieces to illustrate the Catholic tradition's wisdom on the nature of prayer. Neither art nor prayer are understood through ferocious consumption, but through thoughtful contemplation. This book requires a slow, meditative reading. I found myself flipping back and reading several sections again, I recommend this book for Artists and pray-ers alike. There is lots to digest here--I give it five stars: ★★★★★
Thank you to Paraclete Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 11, 2015
I should have known the limited view of this book would be to Catholicism and art since it is written by a Monsignor. I did learn the origins of a lot of the rituals within the catholic church, though. Way too many artworks on Madonna and child or mass scenes.
May 13, 2016
Eloquent and inspirational!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews