Art History
Subject: The Collection of Modern Art in the Vatican Museums.
Advisor: Prof. Gal Ventura and Dr. Karma Ben-Johanan.
Abstract: The research aims to examine how the Vatican Museums’ collection of modern art reflects the relationship between the Catholic Church and art in the modern era, and through it, the Church’s overall attitude toward the changing world around it. The collection, comprising approximately 8,000 works from the 19th and 20th centuries by artists such as Van Gogh, Chagall, de Chirico, Botero, Matisse, and others, includes alongside works that engage with familiar Christian imagery also several pieces lacking any clear religious context and even some that openly criticize the institution of the papacy. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining Art History and Comparative Religion, the research will analyze selected works from the collection and their artistic and stylistic connections while exploring the broader religious and cultural significance of their display. The aim of the research is to examine the Vatican’s collection of modern art in light of the evolving relationship between the Catholic Church and modernity, intending to lay the groundwork for future in-depth study and reveal new layers of meaning within the collection.
MA Honors 2025/26