The Nature of the Christian Artist

"The nature of the Christian artist is to sacrifice"

Made in the Image and Likeness of God

There has been much discussion and spilled ink on the topic of what defines a “Christian Artist.” Artists themselves generally dislike the label for a number of reasons. First of all, in the popular imagination a Christian Artist is one who works exclusively in overt Christian themes, bible stories, images of Jesus etc., and most artists do not work within such a strict niche of a niche.

Then there is the question of quality. Generally, a great deal of Christian art, from movies, to literature, to visual art, is substandard. The thinking seems to be that the message is more important than the quality of the work. And while it may be true that the message is greater than the work, if the work is not beautiful, no one will hear the message. And so in the mind of many, the terms “Christian artist” and “talented artist” are mutually exclusive.

So what defines a Christian artist? What is the nature of a Christian artist? I would submit that it is the same thing that defines the nature of every Christian, sacrifice.

As of this writing we have just entered into the Easter season and the passion, death, and particularly the resurrection of Christ is the theme that pervades the coming days.

We are made the image and likeness of God. That can mean many things but we cannot get away from the idea that we are made in the image of a God who sacrificed Himself for our sake. It is our nature to sacrifice our wants, desires, and even our dreams for the sake of the other person. This applies to every Christian but perhaps it is even more important to the artist who is a Christian.

The Easter season reminds us that we cannot arrive at the glories of Easter Sunday, the risen Christ, without going through Good Friday, Christ on the cross. The real world is not the world of modern thought that promises victory without pain. The secular message is that you can have everything you want, immediately, without sacrifice.

The real world is much more like a fairy tale, victory is achieved after a long struggle. We often we get to a point in which all seems lost, but if we persevere, and hold fast to our faith, we will prevail. Perhaps not in the way we would like or the way we desire, but it is important to remember that if we sacrifice those wants and desires, we give room for God to work in our lives.

For several generations now, art schools have done a disservice to the artist. They urge students to reject the past, reject tradition and any sense of a higher calling, and instead indulge in their inner wants and desires. The product of modern art schools proclaims that art is whatever the artist says it is. As a result, the cult of the “New” has overridden Beauty. “New” and “different” have replaced “talent” and “skill.” Modern marketing methods have convinced us that a banana stapled to a wall, is high art.

The nature of the Christian artist then, is sacrifice. The Christian artist may be called to sacrifice the type of art they want to do in favor of the art that they are called to do.

Let the Holy Spirit Work

Saint Cecilia, Burne-Jones, 1900, public domain

Michelangelo Buonarroti famously balked at the idea of painting frescos on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. He considered himself a sculptor rather than a painter. His wants and desires centered around 40 statues that would adorn the tomb of Pope Julius. But, eventually, he was forced to give up that dream, or at least delay it, and accept the commission that he felt was beneath him. The result is arguably one of the most beloved works of art in the world, and has turned countless thousands of people to contemplate the value of letting yourself be a conduit through which God works.

Jacques Joseph Tissot achieved success as a painter of the Parisian social scene in the 1880s. This success followed him to London where he became known as James Tissot and continued depicting the fashionable crowd engaged in everyday activities.

But in 1885 his work changed. While he enjoyed a comfortable life working in a popular genre, he felt called to devote his later years to depicting biblical events. While his motivations for this change have become the subject of discussion among historians, there is no doubt that his biblically inspired work has outlasted his paintings of fashionably dressed women.

A contemporary of Tissot, Edward Coley Burne-Jones studied theology at Exeter College in Oxford, intending to become a minister. But he was convinced to take up a career in art instead. The art-world at the time focused on exhibitions sponsored by major galleries and associations. These catered to a very specific high-end clientele. But Burne-Jones was known to dislike these exhibitions and instead wanted his art to reach a wider audience. He accomplished this in his designs for stained glass windows and mosaics that still adorn churches in England and Rome. Although his oil paintings can earn millions of dollars at auction, it is his liturgical art that continues to inspire people more than a hundred years after their creation.

How then do modern artists distinguish between what they want to do and what they are called to do? We listen to the Holy Spirit who is always at work within us, molding us into the person God meant for us to be.

When we pursue our wants, when we create work that we desire to do, if it is not what we are called to do, then we will always feel unsatisfied with the result. We will always be seeking more, chasing after that feeling of peace and contentment. On the other hand when we sacrifice our desires and turn ourselves over to God, letting Him work through us, then we will feel in our hearts that we are finally doing the work we were put on this earth to do.

The nature of the Christian artist is to sacrifice, to become a brush in the hand of God, and to allow Him to direct us in our work.

Pax vobiscum

Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith and the spiritual “hero’s journey” that is part of every person’s life. He maintains a blog at www.DeaconLawrence.org and can be reached at Lawrence@deaconlawrence.com

Lawrence draws on ancient Christian tradition to create new contemporary visions of sacred art. For more information on original art, prints and commissions, Please visit www.DeaconLawrence.org

Purchase fine art prints of Deacon Lawrence’s work here.