Religion has always played a key role in art expression. How do you think it has changed from primitive times through the Renaissance, to today?

Question

wach · Answer

Wow, cool question. The earliest forms of religious/spiritual art I can think of are : Venus of Willendorf ( http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Venus_von_Willendorf_02.jpg) and like Cave of Bulls ( http://seco.glendale.edu/ceramics/lascauxcaves.html). Venus of Willendorf was used spirituality as like a fertility omen, and the Cave was painted that way so that hunters could connect with the bulls spiritually and give them luck in the hunt, and whatnot. Later through the Renaissance and later Baroque, religious icons were used to bring people into the catholic church - particularily in the Baroque where the church tried to connect people by depicting religious figures as 'ordinary' people - they wanted to attract the peasants. Depictions of greek antiquity was basically a revival of religion as form and beauty.