Convent of St. Saba

Temple Banner with Pilgrimage Sites and Scenes from the Svayambhu-purana (Ancient Text of the Primordial Buddha)

Monastery of Mega Spileon, Greece

Monastery of San Francesco di Civitella in the Sabine Mountains

Fushan Monastery

The Monastery of San Pedro (Our Lady of the Snows)

Looking for a Monastery in the Misty Mountains

Ru-Shan Monastery

Created by Noa Rui-Piin Weiss.
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Monasteries are meant to be retreats: buildings separated from everyday society for monks, nuns, or other people of faith to commit themselves to a life immersed in religion. Across cultures, monasteries have been built in ways that communicate seclusion, both through their location and their architectural choices. However, the function of monasteries also depends on their accessibility. They are sites of pilgrimage and places for lay people to participate in religious life alongside the cloistered. This collection of works highlights the balance between openness and isolation in representations of monastic life. Some depictions show figures making their way to monasteries, while others focus on the surrounding natural environment that encloses these remote buildings. 

Monastic Isolation

About this Collection

Make a curated collection.