When Jonathan Richardson first used the term, “Old Master” in his 1719 treatise, An Argument in Behalf of the Science of a Connoisseur, he intended to create an art-historical and collecting category to describe the great artists of the past, and to distinguish them from the “Living Masters” of the day. As we stand a quarter of the way through the 21st century and look back on the history of art, and on Sacred Art in particular, we find swaths of incredible artists and works that today have captured the imagination of billions of people around the world.

To begin to quantify the sum value of these works is near impossible. Seeing the powerful part they have played in the evangelizing of the gospel, consoling the human heart on this journey in life, and encouraging the faithful into a deeper participation in the Christian sacramental life give monumental support to their worth. Even in the secular mind, one intuitively values beauty and seeks to protect and preserve it, as in the example of Helen of Troy, lives are spent in pursuit of it.

It is with this profound awareness and deep desire to preserve this rich treasury of beauty in the Church that we have continued to produce and promote the incredible works of the Old Masters. Though the average Christian today does not have the privilege of encountering Jesus in the flesh during His earthly life, the many incredible works of the various Old Masters become the visual means of that encounter today through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit formed Christ in the flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, so too does that same Spirit inspire, move, and recreate the hearts of man with the power of True, Good, and Beautiful Sacred Art. This beauty, which serves as an icon pointing to God Himself, is what Saint Augustine wrestled with in his Confessions and remarked, “Too late loved I Thee, O Thou Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new!” May you be inspired by the countless stories found in these works and their artists and begin to see the world through Heaven’s eyes.

To have your own encounter, take a look at the Old Masters Collection we have in the gallery.