Story of Christian Art

With stunning reproductions of major artworks on nearly every page, this is a book that both informs the mind and nourishes the soul. From the haunting images in the catacombs to the sacred halls of Gothic cathedrals and the bustling streets of Renaissance Europe, The Story of Christian Art takes you on a journey through more than two millennia of artistic inspiration and achievement. With every turn of the page, you are transported through the changing artistic, historical and religious contexts surrounding each masterpiece, gaining a better sense of the profound spiritual convictions that were the driving force behind each stroke of the brush or cut of the chisel. Whatever your religious background may be, The Story of Christian Art offers a deeper and richer understanding of the cultural climate and influences behind the glories of Western art. It also offers valuable insights into the significance of key Christian elements within the artworks, encouraging a more nuanced and rewarding appreciation of each one. The book ends by exploring the present and future of Christian art. Who are the contemporary Christian artists and is there still a role for them in an increasingly secular society? Contents Introduction 2. The Beginning of Time 3. The Palaeolithic Age 4. The Mesolithic and Neolithic Periods 5. The Bronze Age, Iron Age and the Old Testament 6. Egyptian Art: gods, priests and liturgical objects 7. Assyria, Babylonia and Persia 8. Ancient Greece 9. Rome and the Rise of Christian Art 10. The Constantinian Shift 11. Byzantine Art and the Iconoclastic Controversy 12. The Dark Ages, Carolingian Art and the Cluniac Reforms 13. Romanesque Art 14. Gothic Art: The Dawn of a Medieval revolution in Northern Europe 15. The Italian Renaissance 16. The Reformation and Counter-Reformation 17. The Splendour of the Baroque 18. Seventeenth Century Classicism and Still Life painting 19. The Age of Enlightenment 20. French Rococo, Neo-classicism and the Separation of Church and State 21. Romanticism, Realism and the Rise of the ‘-isms’ 22. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism 23. The Early 20th Century and the Beginnings of Modern Art 24. Between the Two World Wars 25. Post-War Art 26. Contemporary Art

Patrick van der Vorst was born and raised in Bruges, Belgium and graduated in 1995 at the University of Leuven. At the age of 24 he relocated to London to pursue a career in the art world. From 1995 to 2011 he worked as an auctioneer for Sotheby’s, London, becoming Director for Sotheby’s, Europe, in 2007. At Sotheby’s he played a key role in organising sales for esteemed clients such as Elton John, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Viscount Astor, and numerous other private clients across London, New York, Geneva, and Paris. After 16 years at Sotheby’s he left to establish his own online art appraisal venture, founding www.valuemystuff.com in 2011. ValueMyStuff gained recognition after being featured on BBC’s Dragon’s Den (known as Shark Tank in the USA). With investments from Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden, the company soared to success, becoming the leading online art appraisal service globally. Over time, ValueMyStuff amassed a customer base of more than 500,000. After a successful seven years, the company was sold in 2018. From 2012 to 2018, van der Vorst served as a judge and presenter on Belgian national television for the popular series "Stukken van Mensen." During its original run, the show consistently ranked among the top-rated weekly programmes, and it continues to attract viewers. As a result, he is widely recognised as a prominent public figure in Belgium. Since childhood, he harboured a deep desire to serve as a Catholic priest and in June 2023 he was ordained by Cardinal Vincent Nichols at Westminster Cathedral. He now serves as the Precentor of Westminster Cathedral, London. In 2019 he founded www.christian.art, whose regular visitors now number almost 100,000.