The Visual Commentary on Scripture

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http://TheVCS.org is a free, online resource that provides material for teaching, preaching, researching, and reflecting on the Bible, Art, and Theology based @kcltrs.bsky.social

The other two miracles, which are not pictured here, were to make his hand leprous and then cure it; and turning the Nile water into blood. By offering three miraculous transformations, it prefigured Moses’s own metamorphosis from shepherd to great leader and prophet.
The first is to turn his staff into a serpent. Moses is depicted as having horns, a convention caused by Jerome translating the Hebrew term qâran (shining) as qérén (horned) (Exodus 34:29, 30, 35)
Here, In Exodus 4, Moses is reluctant to accept his fate as deliverer of the Hebrews. God reassures him by offering three miraculous transformations
This scene between God and Moses is one of 109 woodcut illustrations made by the press of Anton Koberger in the 15th century. It was among the first to be ‘mass-produced’ and was made in three versions: unadorned woodcuts, modestly hand-coloured, and this deluxe version.
Three miracles that convinced Moses, with a woodcut illustration of God in a tree.
ROBERTO ODERISI The Man of Sorrows, c.1354, Tempera and gold on panel, 62.2 x 38 cm, The Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Cambridge, MA; Gift of Grenville L. Winthrop, Class of 1886, 1937.49, ©️ Harvard Art Museums / Bridgeman Images
UNKNOWN PERSIAN ARTIST Ibrâhîm (Abraham) rescued from Nimrûd's fire by Jabrâ'îl (Gabriel), 1577, Manuscript, 210 x 127 mm, The New York Public Library; Spencer Collection, Qisas al-Anbiyâ, fol. 23v, Courtesy New York Public Library
CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer), c.1817, Oil on canvas, Hamburger Kunsthalle; HK-5161, bpk Bildagentur / Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg / Elke Walford / Art Resource, NY
SHAI AZOULAY Living as a Pilgrim, 2019, Oil on canvas, 45 x 60 cm; ©️ Shai Azoulay, courtesy of artist
ABRAHAM BAR JACOB Abraham smashing the Idols, from the Passover Haggadah, 1695, Engraving, 315 x 205 cm, Gross Family Collection, The Center for Jewish Art, Tel Aviv; B.66, Courtesy of William Gross, Photography by Ardon Barhama
UNKNOWN ARTIST, POSSIBLY ST DUNSTAN, WALES/GLASTONBURY Jesus Christ, opening page of Glastonbury Classbook (St. Dunstan's Classbook), 850, Manuscript illumination, 250 x 180 mm, Bodleian Libraries, The University of Oxford; MS Auct. F. 4. 32, fol. 1r, Photo: ©️ Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
GIUSEPPE PENONE Rovesciare i propri occhi (To Reverse One's Eyes), 1970, Gelatin silver print with selenium tone and ink on baryte paper, handwritten inscription, 396 x 296 mm; Edition of 7, ©️ 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris. Photo: Lucy Dawkins. Courtesy Gagosian.
GUSTAVE DORÉ Dante addresses the traitor Bocca Degli Abati, from Inferno Canto 32, verse 97, 1857, Wood engraving, 430 x 310 mm; Realy Easy Star / Alamy Stock Photo
EDVARD MUNCH Self-Portrait in Hell, 1903, Oil on canvas, 82 x 66 cm, Munchmuseet, Oslo; MM.M.00591, ©️ Munchmuseet / Juri Kobayashi
UNKNOWN ARTIST Job attacked by a monster representing the disease sent by the devil (Job 2:7), c.776–825, Manuscript illumination, 280 x 275 mm, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vatican City; MS Vat. gr. 749 pt.1, fol. 25r, ©️ 2025 Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana
UNKNOWN SPANISH ARTIST, POSSIBLY SEVILLE Job, 1618–30, Oil on canvas, 120.3 x 95 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey McCormick, 1936.355, The Art Institute of Chicago / Art Resource, NY
JOHN REILLY Holy Family, Date unknown, Oil on board, 106.7 x 106.7 cm, Private collection; ©️ Jillian Reilly, courtesy of https://thejohnreillygallery.co.uk
ANTOINE CAMILLERI The Prayer, 1982, Clay and resin on wood panel; ©️ Antoine Camilleri, courtesy of the artist
STANLEY SPENCER The Lovers (The Dustmen), 1934, Oil on canvas, 115 x 123.5 cm, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne; Purchased from Arthur Tooth and Sons Ltd, 1948, TWCMS : B7412, North East Museums / ©️ Estate of Stanley Spencer. All rights reserved 2025 / Bridgeman Images
MARY KELLY Post-Partum Document. Documentation III: Analysed Markings And Diary Perspective Schema (Experimentum Mentis III: Weaning from the Dyad), 1975, Graphite, crayon, chalk and printed diagrams, mounted on paper, 286 x 361 x 35 mm, Tate, London; Purchased 1984, T03925, ©️ Mary Kelly 2025 courtesy Tate Images, Courtesy Pippy Houldsworth Gallery
PAOLO VERONESE The Wedding at Cana, 1562–63, Oil on canvas, 677 x 994 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris; INV 142, ©️ RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY
HELEN FRANKENTHALER Dream Walk Red, 1978, Acrylic on canvas, 149.9 x 262.9 cm, Private collection, Springfield, N.J.; ©️ 2026 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
GIACOMO BALLA The Speed of an Automobile, 1913, Oil on card, 60 x 98 cm, Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna, Milan; ©️ Mark Edward Smith / Bridgeman Images
WILLIAM BLAKE Detail of The Whirlwind: Ezekiel's Vision of the Cherubim and Eyed Wheels (Illustration to the Old Testament, Ezekiel I 4–28), c.1803–05, Pen and watercolour over graphite on paper, 394 x 295 mm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum purchase with funds donated by contribution, 90.108, Photo: ©️ 2021 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
MARC CHAGALL La Vision d'Ezéchiel, pl.104 (from Bible II), 1931–39, Handcoloured etching, 328 x 260 mm; ©️ 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris; Photo: akg-images / Album
Curated Commentaries offer a new way to explore the VCS collection. We have selected topics familiar and unexpected to help you encounter the Bible and Art. Each is explored through seven artworks and commentaries from across the site.
Curated Commentaries offer a new way to explore the VCS collection. We have selected topics familiar and unexpected to help you encounter the Bible and Art. Each is explored through seven artworks and commentaries from across the site. Discover new perspectives and ways of thinking at your own pace, with areas as varied as Christ's Wounds, Mythical Creatures, Land & Harvest, Jesus's Female Disciples, and Gold. This unique resource is the product of the devotion and scholarship of our hundreds of artists and authors—eye-opening, thought-provoking, and enriching. This collection will continue to grow and is invaluable for anyone engaging with, learning about, or teaching the Bible and Art.
CLEVE JONES AND COLLABORATORS NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, displayed on the National Mall October 11, 1996 in Washington, D.C., Begun on November 27, 1985, Fabric and various materials, 120,000 m2, Cared for by the National AIDS Memorial Grove, San Francisco; ©️ Richard Ellis/ZUMAPRESS.com/Alamy Live News
JACOPO TINTORETTO St Roch Healing the Plague-Stricken, 1549, Oil on canvas, 307 x 673 cm, Chiesa di San Rocco, Venice; Cameraphoto Arte, Venice / Art Resource, NY
UNKNOWN ARTIST The Cleansing of the Ten Lepers, from the Codex Aureus of Echternach (Codex aureus Epternacensis), c.1030, Illuminated manuscript, Germanische Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg; Hs156142, fol. 54r, Courtesy Germanisches Nationalmuseum
UNKNOWN FRENCH ARTIST [PARIS] Psalm 81 (80 Vulgate), Initial showing David playing bells and the Golden Calf, from Breviary of Marie of Brabant, 1285–97, Illumination on vellum, 192 x 125 mm, The Morgan Library & Museum, New York; MS M.1042 fol. 56r, The Morgan Library & Museum, New York
UNKNOWN ARTIST Psalm 81 (80 Vulgate), Full page initial showing scenes from 2 Samuel 14, from the Tickhill Psalter, 1310, Illumination on vellum, The New York Public Library; Spencer Collection, NYPL Spencer Coll. MS. 26, Courtesy of The New York Public Library
UNKNOWN FRENCH ARTIST [PARIS] Psalm 81 (80 Vulgate), Initial showing David playing bells and the Golden Calf, from Breviary of Marie of Brabant, 1285–97, Illumination on vellum, 192 x 125 mm, The Morgan Library & Museum, New York; MS M.1042 fol. 56r, The Morgan Library & Museum, New York
ERVIN BOSSÁNYI Peace Window, 1956, Stained glass, Canterbury Cathedral; Buff Henry Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
BOB AND ROBERTA SMITH My Son Changed my Art, 2018, Sign writers paint on board, 120 x 120 cm; Courtesy the artist. Photo by Simon Critchley. Installation shot from the exhibition at the Harris, Preston.
KEITH HARING Untitled (Necker Hospital Mural), 1987, Mural, 2700 x 1300 cm, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris; ©️ Keith Haring Foundation / Wikipedia CC BY-SA 2.0 courtesy of Yann Caradec
JAN LUYKEN Plague of vermin (Plaag van het ongedierte), from Icones Biblicae Veteris et Novi Testamenti, 1708, Etching, 337 x 435 mm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; RP-P-OB-67.875, Courtesy of Rijksmuseum
MARCELLO FOGOLINO The Plague of Frogs, 1547, Fresco, Palazzo Diocesano, Ascoli Piceno; Photo: ©️ Geoffrey Nuttall
UNKNOWN CATALONIAN ARTIST Building Pharaoh's cities; the bondage of the Israelites; the plague of blood; Aaron's snake swallowing two others, from the Golden Haggadah, Early 14th century, Illuminated manuscript, The British Library, London; Add. 27210, f.11, Album / Art Resource, NY
TERRY FROST Life is just a Bowl of Cherries II, 2003, Silkscreen on paper, 590 x 440 mm; Published by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, ©️ 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London. Courtesy Belgrave St Ives
KENT MONKMAN The Scream, 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 213 x 335 cm, Denver Art Museum; Native Arts acquisition funds, purchased with funds from Loren G. Lipson, M.D., 2017.93, ©️ Kent Monkman, image courtesy of the artist
UNKNOWN ARTIST Ivory casket with carved reliefs including St Paul conversing with Thecla and the Stoning of St Paul, c.430, Ivory, 4.2 x 9.8 cm, The British Museum, London; 1856,0623.8, ©️ The Trustees of the British Museum / Art Resource, NY
JOHANNES VERMEER Officer and Laughing Girl, c.1657, Oil on canvas, 50.5 x 46 cm, The Frick Collection, New York; Henry Clay Frick Bequest, 1911.1.127, ©️The Frick Collection
ANTONIO ROSSELLINO [ATTRIB.] The Virgin with the laughing Child, After 1460, Terracotta, 49 x 27 x 24.5 cm, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; 4495-1858, ©️ Victoria and Albert Museum, London
NICHOLAS OF VERDUN The Birth of Isaac (detail), from the Verdun Altar, c.1181, Champlevé enamel, St. Leopold’s Chapel, Stift Klosterneuberg; Peter Böttcher, IMAREAL, Universität Salzburg
CORITA KENT the dark, 1983, Serigraph, 178 x 127 mm, Corita Art Center, Los Angeles; 83-21, ©️ 2025 Corita Art Center, Corita.org, Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
GARRY FABIAN MILLER Exposure (five hours of light) 1 July 2005 (assigned by artist), 2005, Nine dye destruction prints, tiled to form one image, 160 x 190 cm, The Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Gift of Garry Fabian Miller, E.326-2018, ©️ Garry Fabian Miller / Victoria and Albert Museum, London
ROBIN TANNER A Tithe Barn (Wiltshire Barn), 1926, Etching, 170 x 127 mm (plate), The Asmolean Museum, Oxford; Presented by Robin Tanner, the artist, 1981, WA1981.55, ©️ Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, courtesy Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
UNKNOWN THURINGIAN ARTIST Altar of the Resurrection from Arnstadt, c.1430, Tempera and gold on fir wood, 143 x 90,5 cm (left wing), Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Purchased before 1922 by Lina Stier, Hanover, 2005, Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Property of Kaiser Friedrich Museumsverein / Jörg P. Anders; Public Domain Mark 1.0
BRAMANTINO detail of 'The Risen Christ', c.1490, Mixed media on panel, 109 x 73 cm, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid; Inv. no. 61 (1937.1), ©️ Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
Luke 24:36–49; John 20:19–23 Resurrection Appearances Commentaries by Victoria Emily Jones Works of art by Bramantino, Jyoti Sahi and Unknown Thuringian artist
Matthew 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:15–20 The Last Supper Commentaries by Ben Quash, Jennifer Sliwka and Michelle Fletcher Works of art by Ercole de’ Roberti, Leonardo da Vinci and Sadao Watanabe
Community | Lent 2026 PIETER DE HOOCH Woman lacing her bodice beside a cradle, c.1660–63, Oil on canvas, 92 x 100 cm, Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; No. 820b, Berlin State Museums, Gemäldegalerie / Christoph Schmidt
MARC CHAGALL Yellow Crucifixion, 1942, Oil on canvas, 140 x 101 cm, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; AM 1988-74, © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris, Photo: © CNAC / MNAM / Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY
EMMANUEL GARIBAY Emmaus, 2012, Oil on canvas, 91 x 91 cm, Private Collection; © Emmanuel Garibay
LOUISE BOURGEOIS Give or Take, 2002, Bronze with silver nitrate patina, 8.6 x 59.6 x 12.7 cm, Tate; AL00343, © 2021 The Easton Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY; Photo: © Tate, London / Art Resource, NY
ANGU WALTERS The Evening Prayer II, 21st century, Oil on canvas, 100 x 78 cm, Collection of the artist; Courtesy of Angu Walters, Cameroon
SONYA CLARK Many, 2019, Woven cloth, 9.14 x 4.57 m; ©️ Sonya Clark; Photo: Carlos Avendaño
JOHANN VALENTIN HAIDT Erstlingsbild, 1747, Oil on canvas, Museum Het Hernhutter Huis, Zeist; Courtesy Het Hernhutter Huis