Liz Lev grew up Catholic but left the Church in adolescence. A renowned art historian, Lev said she came back to the faith after studying artists like Michelangelo and Caravaggio, whose works seem to speak to their own beliefs in Christ.
“My university had a very strong pedagogical concept that it was very important to understand the soil of the work of art that produces a work of art,” Lev told “Practicing Catholic” producer Kayla Mayer for an episode of the program that debuts at 9 p.m. Sept. 15 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
“If you’re going to be studying (art from the) Counter-Reformation (16th and early 17th century efforts to oppose the Protestant Reformation and reform the Catholic Church), then you want to dig into the soil and understand all the different things that are going into that pretty flower you see on the museum wall,” Lev said. “And what happens when you start digging around in the soil of Catholicism is you start to find this really rich humus of truth and of faith and of history and of tradition. And it really was these works, the Michelangelo of St. Peter’s Basilica and its incredible ensemble, the Caravaggio, that really made me think, well, first of all, it was evident to me that Michelangelo believed this stuff, right?”
Noting that scholars argue over Michelangelo’s faith to this day, Lev said looking at his art through the lens of someone who believes what is depicted convinced her that Michelangelo was a believer.
Through his art, Caravaggio seemed to struggle with the faith, Lev said.
“So, yes, he’s in a Catholic culture. Yes, he’s baptized. Yes, he probably shows up for Mass from time to time, but he really does struggle with leading a Catholic life. And that struggle, I think, plays out in his remarkable contrast,” Lev said. “He doesn’t really have halftones. It’s light and dark,” hinting at a powerful tension in the artist, she said.
Lev, who grew up in the United States but now lives in Rome, will speak at the sold-out Center for Catholic Studies’ 30th anniversary celebration Sept. 23 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
To hear more of Lev’s reflections on faith and art, tune in to “Practicing Catholic,” which also repeats on Relevant Radio at 1 p.m. Sept. 16 and 2 p.m. Sept. 17.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Sean Pilcher, a member of All Saints in Minneapolis and director of Sacra: Relics of the Saints, who talks about the importance of religious relics; and Ryan O’Hara, content director for St. Paul’s Outreach (SPO), who discusses a new series for Catholic young adults on dating and discernment of marriage.
“Practicing Catholic” also can be heard after it has aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.
