Strata: Special Collections

Art museums typically present medieval European art from a purely aesthetic perspective, neglecting its original purpose: religious ritual. In Realms of Faith, the Museum of Biblical Art places selected European artifacts from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore in the context of their function in Christian liturgical practice and personal devotion. Using primary sources such as texts and medieval images depicting works of art in use, the exhibition helps visitors understand religious experiences, both shared and divergent, of Byzantine and Western medieval Christians.