Artstor Digital Library: Philosophy and Religious Studies
Search Tips
Browse by geography, then select a classification to view religious paintings, sculpture, architecture, etc. in specific countries.
Keyword search terms such as Krishna, Buddha, stupa, Hindu, mosque, cathedral, and others will retrieve over 1,000 images — use these general terms in combination with others to narrow your results.
Suggested Search Terms
Try these sample search terms to find images related to Religious Studies. Don't forget to use the search filters to narrow your results.
This page highlights Artstor content related to Western and Eastern religious beliefs and traditions, as represented by images of sacred texts, religious iconography, ceremonial objects, and places of worship, including temples, cathedrals, synagogues, churches, and mosques.
Featured Collections
Artstor’s Religious Studies content is sourced from museums, photo agencies, and archives such as:
- Farber Gravestones (American Antiquarian Society)
- Magnum Photos: Contemporary Photojournalism
- Manuscripts and Early Printed Books (Bodleian Library, University of Oxford)
- The Mellon International Dunhuang Archive
- Mexican Retablos (Jorge Durand and Douglas Massey)
- David Efurd: Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain Monuments
Curated Image Groups
Artstor's Education and Content teams curate groups of images in a number of disciplines. The below image groups are available for Religious Studies:
- Overview: Religious Studies
- Lifecycles: Death and the Afterlife
- Islamic Art
- Early Medieval and Romanesque Art
You can save these groups as your own and modify them by opening a group, logging in to your registered Artstor account, selecting "Organize" from the top menu, and then "Save image group as..." To add or remove images, open your copy of the group and begin editing.
Did you know?
Columbia University has shared approximately 1,800 virtual reality panoramas of important monuments of religious architecture in Europe and the Middle East. Of particular note is the strong coverage of Medieval and Renaissance churches and cathedrals in France, England, and Italy, as well as other religious spaces such as the Hagia Sophia.
Image source: Isidore of Miletus; Anthemios of Tralles. Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya); Interior: Apse. 532-537;
Image: July 2013. Photography by Media Center for Art History, Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University