temple murals
Sacred wall art
Temple murals are paintings applied directly to the walls of religious buildings.
Found across cultures—Buddhist temples in Thailand, Hindu temples in India, Christian churches in Europe—they typically depict sacred narratives, deities, or spiritual teachings.
The murals serve both decorative and didactic purposes, conveying religious stories to worshippers who may not read scripture: The temple murals showed scenes from the Buddha's life.
- Angkor WatMassive Khmer temple complex
- frescoWet plaster painting technique
- pigmentColor-imparting material
- gold leafUltra-thin decorative metal
- iconographyAnalysis of artistic symbols
sacred art · mythology · Egyptian tombs · ritual · Buddhist monks · deity · cave paintings · wall paintings · cosmology · symbolism · pilgrimage · mandala · lotus flower · conservation · art restoration · gilding · tempera · Byzantine art
- Asian artink painting, Chinese art, Japanese art, brush painting, scroll painting
- ancient muralsfresco, wall painting, wall paintings, Pompeii, cave paintings
- Buddhist artBuddha statues, Buddha images, Buddha head, seated Buddha, standing Buddha
- Buddhist objectsBuddha, Buddha statues, Buddha images, prayer wheels, prayer flag
- Egyptian arttomb paintings, hieroglyphics, sarcophagi, scarabs, tomb painting
- Mesoamerican artAztec art, Aztec relics, codices, stelae, jade carvings
temple muralsstained glass
Colored window art
cathedral windows · stained glass windows · mosaic floors · carved stone · illuminated manuscripts