\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx8790\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 The desire to spread knowledge of Christ is what lay at the heart of the diffusion of religiou
s art, a genre that was extensively practiced by artists in the past yet much less so in the contemporary era.\par
Alongside images intended for prayer and worship, works of a more narrative character have been produced ever since the Middle Ages. Thes
e works illustrated the principal episodes of the Gospels, such as the incarnation and childhood of Christ that is depicted in detail in the Gospel according to Luke and the Apocrypha.\par
Scenes of the Passion were frequently depicted and intended to d
raw attention to the human nature of Christ as well as his sacrifice. From the Last Supper to the Crucifixion, artists have illustrated the final events of ChristÆs life with great dramatic force.\par
Individual episodes of the Passion became the subjec
ts of altarpieces, transforming a narrative scene into an image for contemplation.\par
\pard\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 Placing a representation of the Crucifixion or the Lamentation on the altar served to reinforce the Catholic doctrine of consubstantia
lity, the principle that the body of Christ is present in the consecrated Host.
