Too many religious images?

[Monica4316]

I’ve collected a number of Catholic images over the years and they are displayed in my room… Someone in family said, it’s better to have one image of Our Lord, one of Our Lady, etc, - whereas I have a few of each. However, I find that they all show different aspects of them. For example, I have the Divine Mercy image, the Sacred Heart image, an Eastern icon of Jesus…

Is there such a thing as too many images? what do you think?

 

[MisterCorduroy]

People who visit my house say it reminds them of a monastery because I have so many holy images and icons. Even when I had a studio apartment I always kept a prayer corner. Some of us are visual people so we like to surround ourselves with holy pictures.

I liken it to people who keep many family pictures in their house. They don’t have only one picture of their mother, but may have several. Same goes for our family in heaven. We want to be surrounded by those we love and have a special devotion to.

 

[Allegra]

Are you asking from a moral standpoint or a home-decorating standpoint?

 

[midori]

If you find profit in it, it’s not too much. If there’s too much to the point where it leaves you feeling uninspired or cluttered or everything gets lost/nothing stands out, then perhaps you might want to consider paring down, or rotating imagery periodically.

But you’re the only one who can determine whether or not it works for you. Good luck!

 

[Monica4316]

thanks for the replies

I guess I was asking from a moral standpoint, but not whether it’s a sin, rather - are there any sort of customs about this My family is Eastern Orthodox and - in my understanding Eastern icons of Our Lord do not vary extremely much because there is a specific way they’re supposed to look - so it would be repetitive to put up several. Maybe that is why the comment was made, I don’t know. However in Catholic artwork, there is a lot of variety so maybe it’s different. I have an Eastern icon as well.

I don’t think that it’s so much that it looks cluttered and all over the place… but it’s a noticeable part of the room. I have to say I feel quite safe there

I don’t have anything religious on the walls, (except a Rosary that I hang near the door)… but there are several images/statues on my “home altar” (it’s just a little table), my bookshelf, and another little table. There are 4 bigger ones (8 by 11), and the rest are smaller. I have “secular” art and a poster on the walls.

 

[kaneata]

It’s your place, I think your should do what makes you feel at home and comfortable… What you describe does not sound excessive.

 

[maximus]

We went through this in our household. My wife got carried away and we had to come to a compromise. One is that whatever we have religious wise has to be nice and not cheesy, in a good frame or high quality statues. We have a decent amount and now we have a nice balance with some family pictures, paintings from my Mom, and some two decent secular art lithographs.

Have a nice balance that looks nice.