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Chapter 3.5: Cosmology and Belief

In all cultures, people strive to understand their reason for being and their place in the universe. Art can be an instrument for not only recording spiritual beliefs, but also for creating myths, defining the realms of mortal and immortal, communing with ancestors, channeling forces of good, and repelling those of evil.

Watch the video, Cosmology and Belief (27 minutes). To see more art with this theme scroll down to the Sections topic, located under the video, and click on any of the links.

A picture of painting depicting Mary with long hair and robes in the center, surrounded by various celestial hosts in modern and ancient dress, playing instruments and attending to Mary.
Figure 1. Master of the Saint Lucy Legend, Burges, Mary Queen of Heaven. Oil on Panel, c. 1485/1500 (Image source: National Gallery of Art via Artstor. Public domain).

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ART105: Exploring Art and Visual Culture Copyright © 2025 by Pima Community College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.