The Eucharist in Art: Visualizing Mystery

A webinar lecture with Elizabeth Lev (Duquesne University)

The 17th century Catholic Church found itself engaged in a battle over the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Most Protestant Reformers rejected the teaching of Transubstantiation, while an increasingly empirical culture grew doubtful that a piece of bread and a glass of wine could ever be more than mere matter. To return the gaze of the faithful to mystery, to assist congregations to see beyond the material, the Catholic Church called upon the talent of Caravaggio. the Carracci School and other great artists, who produced works that still delight, teach and move people today. This talk will look at old masterpieces with new eyes, revealing how artists used their gifts to render the invisible, visible.

The Saint Benedict Institute is pleased to co-sponsor the Faith In Art Series, presented by the Harvard Catholic Forum and the Lumen Christi Institute.