In almost all cases, the sacred art selected for our curriculum was chosen from the public domain. All art, including that created by Renaissance masters and other influential and well-known artists, reflects a certain culture, time-period, and place. While these images may not immediately represent our current culture, time-period, or place, they do invite us to a deeper contemplation of the universal nature of beauty, and thus, God Himself, who is Beauty, Truth, and Goodness. And there is a reason we still marvel at these great masterworks from centuries ago: as products of their historical and cultural context—the European Renaissance—they have uniquely captured universal and timeless beauty and are singular examples of excellence in art.

From the beginning of the Church, the faithful have depicted Jesus and the Holy Family as members of their own race or ethnicity. This is beautiful, because Jesus, who became man at a particular time and place, assumed a human nature in order to offer redemption to all of humanity. Depending on the cultural makeup of your classroom, it may be beneficial from time-to-time to supplement the selected artwork with images that may be better reflections of your own students’ experiences.