Offered here is an original May 1954 issue of Liturgical Arts: A Quarterly Devoted to the Arts of the Catholic Church, Volume 22, Number 3. This vintage publication presents a fascinating mid-century exploration of the relationship between modern art, architecture, sculpture, craftsmanship, and Christian worship.

The featured subject is “Abstract Art and Christianity,” making this an especially interesting issue for collectors of mid-century modern art, Catholic history, church architecture, religious studies, and vintage design publications. The magazine is generously illustrated with black-and-white photographs and artwork showcasing religious sculpture, murals, stained glass, church interiors, liturgical vestments, banners, architectural plans, ecclesiastical heraldry, and other examples of sacred art.

Articles and features include:

Abstract Art and Christianity by Theodore Brenson

Gather Them All Together by Maurice Lavanoux

Murals at Marquette by John Pick

Selfishness and Selflessness by C. A. Gonzalez, S.J.

Three Sculptors, featuring Anthony Lauck, Adolph Dioda, and Frances Rich

Modern church decoration and abstract artists working in France

Religious artwork and murals at Marquette University

Liturgical textiles, vestments, banners, sculpture, and church furnishings

Ecclesiastical heraldry and the design of coats of arms

One particularly attractive feature is the full-page reproduction of “Crucifixion” by Jon Corbino, along with numerous period photographs documenting important examples of Catholic modernism during the 1950s.

This copy also has wonderful Maine art-school provenance. An interior label identifies it as formerly belonging to the Margaret Day Blake Library at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. That association adds an appealing historical element for collectors of Maine art, Skowhegan School material, institutional library ephemera, and American art education history.

The magazine remains complete-looking and highly displayable, with a strong assortment of illustrations and readable interior pages. The paper covers show expected age-related handling, edge wear, creasing, toning, small marks, and an old library label near the lower front corner. Interior pages have age toning and occasional spotting consistent with a publication now more than 70 years old. These signs of age give the magazine an authentic vintage character and do not detract from its impressive visual and historical content.

A distinctive and increasingly difficult-to-find reference piece for an art historian, architect, clergy member, Catholic collector, mid-century modern enthusiast, or anyone interested in the development of modern religious art.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the description