Collaborative Post
When it comes to displaying art of any kind, there are certain things you can do to get the best effects. This holds true of secular art as well as religious art but sometimes there is a special significance in the placement of an item. Whether you are displaying interior religious art or exterior forms such as statues and plaques, you will probably notice that Catholics have a tradition of where specific items like crucifixes are displayed. Both Catholic families moving into a new home and interior decorators tasked with decorating that home find it useful to know how to display religious art.
Crosses and Crucifixes
There are three very prominent traditional places to hang a crucifix. The first is always just above the main exterior door. Is there a special significance to this placement? Some Catholics believe that by marking the door where they live, evil demons will recognise a home ruled by Christ and will stay away out of fear of the Almighty. Others find that a cross over the door is much like the ancient Passover tradition of the Jews.
As the Bible has it, God was going to pass through Egypt and as a form of punishment take the firstborn of every family. Jews, however, were told to mark their doors with the blood of the sacrificial lamb and God would pass by that home, leaving the family intact. The Catholic cross, in this case, is much like the Passover lamb to identify the family as Christians.
Paintings – Originals and Replicas
There are so many lovely Catholic paintings, and original religious art is often among the world’s most valuable antiquities. Take, for example, paintings by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, or Raphael. There would be no way to display the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in our homes, but reproductions are in homes around the world by the millions. If you have a fairly high-quality lithograph or reproduction, you will want to frame it well and perhaps use a spotlight to keep it illuminated.
Interior Statues
There are several popular interior statues that are placed around Catholic homes. Some of the more popular statues include:
· Infant of Prague
· Sacred Heart
· Our Lady of the Rosary
These are the most popular Catholic statues that are displayed, and you should know, all are replicas of the originals.
Interior statues are often placed on night tables in a bedroom, on the mantle over a fireplace, a corner grotto in the living room or the solarium, and, of course, on a small table in the foyer. You will immediately know that it is a Catholic home if you see a small replica of Our Lady of the Rosary because only Catholics and Orthodox Catholics venerate the Blessed Virgin as the Mother of God.
Exterior Statues
When it comes to exterior statues, many homeowners have ambient spotlights illuminating their statues so they can be seen at night. The most common exterior statues are:
· Sacred Heart
· Jesus in Gethsemane Kneeling in Prayer ·
Not only will most homeowners illuminate their statues, but they will also make an effort to place them in areas where they are surrounded by vegetation that adds a layer of beauty. The only caution would be to ensure any plant life near the statues is a ground clinging variety, so foliage and flowers never grow tall enough to obscure the statue.
Religious art holds a special place in the lives of Catholics because it is a daily reminder of the path we should be walking. These tips should help you discover the best places to display religious art for your Catholic family.
