Sightings Articles

large square canvas with two rectangular swatches in purple and red

Religion and Art | Essentialism | Religious Experience

Smart Sightings | The Religious Experience of Mark Rothko

Can art and the experience of art be divine? Mark Rothko's "No. 2" offers alternative ways to think about religion....

February 8, 2024

Two paintings side by side on gray backdrop. In the painting on the left, a naked white man is being bitten on the leg by a lion while his hands are trapped in a tree stump. In the painting on the right, three white figures look in shock and point at a fourth, who is wearing a blue robe.

Religion and Art | Comparison | Power

Smart Sightings | Caught Between Text and Image

The juxtaposition of paintings by Il Pordenone and Noël Hallé reflects the conceit of the exhibition: the value and dangers of comparison....

February 2, 2024

Square panel with triangular top, golden background, depicting Christ's crucifixion

Religion and Art | Crucifixion | redemption

Smart Sightings | Mary Magdalene's Invitation to Redemption

This depiction of the Crucifixion is special in that its iconography focuses on St. Mary Magdalene, presenting her as a role model for the Christ-loving, repentant sinner seeking forgiveness—and finding it....