Ecclesiart is an online project that raises awareness of significant works of modern and contemporary art since 1920 in UK churches and cathedrals.
The selected works represent the diversity of high quality church commissions and reflect developments in artistic practice and ecclesiastical art and design. You can explore the collection using the tiles below or by using the Ecclesiart map.
We seek to encourage increased responsibility towards works which may be under-appreciated or at risk and hope that this selection of works provides inspiring and challenging examples of art in churches useful to any parish or individual wishing to commission a new work.
We welcome nominations of new works to be added to Ecclesiart. Please email us with a short text about why you think a work of art should be included with a short theological reflection on the work and its context (no longer than 150 words) and if possible please include images. Please note that we do not accept nominations from artists for their own work.
All permanent works shortlisted for the Award for Art in a Religious Context are added to Ecclesiart. For all other nominations, the Director and trustees of Art and Christianity reserve the right to select works which they determine as meeting the criteria of aptness to context, artistic and technical merit and appropriate theological meaning.
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Antony Gormley: Sound II
Who are we and where do we come from? These are the questions we are born asking, and they prompt answers we go on questioning. There we stand, hearing the sound of our own questions and the sound of our own answers, yet never satisfied, never finished with the task … there we stand, pondering the sound we make, longing for silence …
Marc Chagall: Stained glass windows at Tudeley
The Chagall windows at Tudeley were commissioned by Sir Henry and Lady d'Avigdor-Goldsmid in memory of Sarah d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, their daughter who died in 1963 at the tragically early age of 21, in a sailing accident off Rye. Sarah d'Avigdor-Goldsmid and her mother had visited the 1961 Louvre exhibition of Chagall's work.
Beryl Dean: Chasuble and stole (festal set)
All Saints Newland, known as the Cathedral of the Forest (of Dean), is also in the Wye Valley. Thus Beryl Dean used imagery of foliage, fish, water weed and snails for this Festal Set. The detail and design are both meticulous, charming and compliment the architecture of this rural church.
Shona McInnes: Oil Industry Chapel window
Contemporary window chronicling the North Sea Oil industry, with links to Aberdeen and in memory of all those who lost their lives in the industry. The window won a Saltire Award for Arts in Architecture.
John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens: Light of the World
Light of the World is vast stained glass window, fully architecturally integrated in the Chapel of Robinson College, Cambridge.