A Hogshead of Eels

Art is the Messenger

Visual companions for the Substack series

How did the Church learn to see? This series traces the theological ideas that shaped Christian art from the catacombs to Caravaggio. Below you'll find interactive tools and deep-dive articles to accompany the main essays.

Interactive Tools

The Art is the Messenger Timeline

An interactive visual journey from the Great Schism (1054) to Caravaggio's death (1610) — every theological shift, artistic revolution, and cultural rupture that shaped Western sacred art.

Interactive timeline · 1054–1610 CE

The Decoder Ring

70+ symbols, gestures, and conventions that recur across centuries of Christian art. Learn to read what medieval and Renaissance viewers saw at a glance.

Symbol guide · Searchable reference

↓ Download Decoder Ring PDF

Deep Dives

Extended reading on key moments in the timeline. Each article includes artwork examples, "What to Look For" guides, and curated reading lists.

0 The Contested Image: How Christianity Learned to See ~30–1054 I The Franciscan Revolution: When God Became Touchable 1181–1300 II Giotto and the Invention of Space c. 1267–1337 III Plague, Famine, Fear: Art in the Age of Death 1300–1400 IV The Humanist Turn: Rediscovering the Classical Body 1400–1500 V The Council of Trent: When the Church Wrote the Brand Guidelines 1545–1563 VI Caravaggio: The Obedient Rebel 1571–1610 VII Who's That Kneeling in the Corner? A History of the Donor Portrait 1300–1600 VIII Why Rome Feels Different: Papal vs. Merchant Patronage 1400–1600 IX The Indulgence Altarpiece: Art and the Economy of Salvation 1450–1530 X When Did Patrons Get So Big? The Visual Evidence for the Reformation 1300–1520