Did the rise of modernism destroy the language of religious art?
In short: For centuries, European art shared a unified symbolic order of recognizable images. But the twentieth century brought a radical break. As technology rose and old ideologies faded, artists were left to find new, often private ways to express the transcendent in a fragmented world.
The advent of modernism presented a profound challenge to artists attempting to convey Christian themes. As noted by the artist David Jones, a significant 'break' occurred when the dominant religious and cultural ideology that had unified Europe for over a millennium dissolved. This left behind a landscape of individual, fragmentary visions rather than a shared, corporate narrative.
In a society where religion is naturally woven into the culture, religious art emerges with ease. However, since the Enlightenment, this connection has frayed. Art critic Anthony Blunt observed that modern religious works often become idiosyncratic, private, and out of step with the dominant culture. This shift is evident in the work of figures like William Blake (1757–1827), whose expression was personal and experimental rather than public.
Some nineteenth-century movements, such as the Gothic Revival and the Pre-Raphaelites, attempted to solve this by reviving medieval styles. Yet, Blunt viewed these as mere artifices used to avoid the modern reality. Today, the 'symbolic order'—the shared narratives and images used to explore life's deeper meanings—is considered by some to be exhausted.
Despite this, new sources of renewal have emerged. Artists like Jacob Epstein drew influence from African sculpture to create masterpieces like 'Ecce Homo' for the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. Others, like Graham Sutherland, used the horrors of the twentieth century to find new meaning. In 1946, inspired by the emaciated bodies released from Belsen, Sutherland began a crucifixion scene that used the imagery of thorns to symbolize the endless cruelty of humanity.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Modern Art: Enemy or Friend of Religious Art - Lord Harries
- Also: Modern Art - Enemy or Friend of Religious Art?
- Also: www.royalacademy.org.uk — Modern Art: Friend or Foe of Religious Iconography? | Royal Academy of Arts
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