宗教同艺术自始便結了不解缘。

在原始人类所居的地穴中，所发现的绘画涂绘的地位，多半在日常生活很少接近的地方，意在避免或禁止妇女稚童与外来生客的接近，以为妇女稚童是不洁的外来生客是易起侮慢之举的，都不宜于接近这些东西，以为这些艺术作品是神圣不可侵犯的。

根据Dechelette的调查，在澳洲及美洲的蛮民把猛兽视作保护之神，所以对于这些东西都非常崇拜，便成了拜物教；此教由生动的的兽类之崇拜因袭变化而成偶像。—偶像便是雕刻的始形；换言之，雕刻的初形，曾被视作神圣。

再看埃及的艺术，最显著的如金字塔，却是寄存尸身的坟墓。他们因为相信有神，故谓人死之后，仍须保持其尸体之完整，以待灵魂之归来，故把葬身的坟墓，视作与神庙一般无二；其坟墓之建筑与石洞中之雕像，表现的神祕，正同宗教的意味。

至于希腊的艺术，则比较的倾向于人的方面，——此亦无他，因希腊人之宗教思想.人为本位而作家之选题又非常自由的缘故，希腊艺术发达的动机，虽是受各方面的影响，但其心目中神的意味总有相当的存在，亦为其艺术能长久进步的主因。

他如罗曼与哥的的各种建筑及雕刻，其意味中之宗教的成分，总很明显。

据此，找们可以知道原始的宗教，便是原始的艺术，可以说宗教因艺术而起，也可以以说艺术因宗教而生；或说，在人类的初期，艺术与宗教是相因而生的。宗教冢为维持其信仰计，利用了艺术的方法。由人类的感情下手，把宗教的意义深入人心因而造成种种仪式了，造为种种诗歌，造为种种雕像同建筑，造为种种装饰及绘画。此种利用恰是提高了艺术的地位，促进了艺术的发展。

在信念上，艺术是表现神的东西，因为对于神的崇拜连类而及于艺术，艺术便成为亚神圣而亦神圣的东西了。加以古代以艺术为神像之过去的历史，于是艺术在人间的地位，便因之益高。

在威力上，欧洲古代的教皇，是与政治无大区別的，教皇为保持其个人的感权，不得不將宗教的权威扩大，为了制造艺术作品，及保存艺术品之故，往往雷厉风行，权威倾于帝王、因此，艺术在人类心目中的威严也骤然增巨。

在财力上，常人所不能办或不敢办的绝大的工程、因了宗教之故，往往易如反掌，如欧洲之大教堂（巴的浓）甚至用教皇的命令，把多少有名的艺术家或几年或儿十百年地在为一件工作作工，这是任何样的巨當大家，也做不起来的大工程。

有名的艺术作家，在丈艺复兴以前的，他所遗留下来的鸿篇巨制，除一点点不足轻重的玩意儿而外，因而得名的，总是表现宗教的精神，贡献给宗教的作品！

据此，我们知道，文艺复兴前的宗教把后来代他而兴的那艺术，提携养育到有目立能力的程度了！文艺復兴以前的宗教，利用艺术的功用深入人心，艺术亦因宗教之提携而进步。

前一时期，艺术附属于宗教而发达，后一时期艺术脱离宗教而趋于人生的表现，独当一面的直接滿足人类的感情。例如西洋的艺术，在文艺复兴之前，充满着神秘与宗教的意味；文艺复兴之后多描写人生的故事而傾向于普偏的人生方面。艺术则初与宗教相因而生、继与宗教同时发展再进而与宗教分化，终则代宗教而起了。

艺术与宗教忽然发生了分化的作用，其主要原因，仍在两方方法之不同，而此所谓方法，正是何以为人类解释宇宙同人生的哑谜的方法，仍是用以满足人类求知的欲望与感情的终宿的方法。

宗教所用的方法，是用种种乌何有的欺骗手法，造出种种蒙蔽人的智慧的谣言，期以瞒过人的理智，以导入于正当之途。此种办法在科学发达科学方法日见高強之下，便不免一天天露出破綻终以科学益形进步之后，几宗教昔日用心欺騙人的手法，多半被科学家用事实同人工证出了错误，——于是宗教的信仰，便己日渐堕落。

宗教原无必能引人信仰之能力，科学发达之后其已有之一部分，已被证出错误，所余一部分则又多半是藉助於艺术的功用而成的。这一部分中，除艺术的本力以外，所余只有各种仪式，而所谓仪式者，在昔人类理性尚未十分发展时，尚有其相当的威力，及人类理性已有相当的发展，此种仪式、亦渐见其板滞干燥的缺美，其及不但不能帮人亲信宗教，反致引起人们对宗教的危惧！

宗教的弱点既如此，而反观艺术，则恰恰共之相反。

宗教自把艺术扶持培养成功之后，艺术的魔力，转比宗教伟大。艺术的表现工具是形象，颜色或声音，这种东西不但不怕科学来摧残，乃以科学日渐发达，反使艺术的表现工具，也突然的得到非常的进步，如形象的变化，颜色的分析、以及声音的日渐复杂，可说是全靠料学之赐，这一点，已经比宗教胜过一筹了，艺术虽同为建基于人类感情的安慰，而艺术的表现方法，很自由，很抒情，绝无宗教那样板滞的仪式。

正当这宗教威力一天一天衰颓，艺术的威力反一天一天增加的时候，意大利的文艺复兴运动已经到了成熟期宗教与艺术的分裂便到了时机！

文艺复兴的主要意义，是希腊思想之复活，所谓人的发现，实际的生活发现是领导这个复兴的高潮者，如达文西、拉飞尔、米克朗，却又都是些艺术家。——艺术的魔力已经能把活泼泼的人，從神的鉄掌下拖出来，使他们走上活的路，便是艺术从宗教下释放出来来的原力了，此后维持人类感情的重责便不得不由宗教家的手里，转移到艺术家的肩上来了。

The separation of art and religion has its roots in the different approaches each takes. In the primitive dwellings of early humans, paintings and drawings were often placed in secluded areas to avoid contact with women, children, and outsiders. These artworks were considered sacred and off-limits to those deemed impure.

Primitive societies, like those in Australia and the Americas, worshipped wild animals as protective deities, leading to the development of idol worship and the creation of carved images. In Egypt, the construction of structures like the pyramids, although serving as tombs, carried a mysterious and religious significance, as they believed in the preservation of the body for the return of the soul.

Greek art, on the other hand, leaned towards human aspects because Greek religious thought placed humans at the center. The development of Greek art was influenced by various factors, but the significance of divine beings always played a role.

In Europe, the medieval popes wielded both religious and political power. To maintain personal influence, they expanded the authority of religion, leading to significant projects in art. The grandeur of European cathedrals, like Notre Dame, often involved the direct involvement of popes in commissioning artists for their work.

Renowned artists before the Renaissance, such as Da Vinci, Manet, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley, Degas, and Toulouse-Lautrec, contributed to religious themes in their works. The religious context was prevalent in the art of this period.

The Renaissance marked a shift in focus from religious to secular subjects in art. The powerful influence of religion began to decline as science developed and exposed many religious beliefs as erroneous. Artistic expressions that were once considered sacred faced scrutiny, and religion gradually lost its grip on people's beliefs.

Religion often used deceptive methods to propagate its beliefs, but with the advancement of science, many religious doctrines were debunked. The remaining aspects often relied on artistic elements. However, the power of rituals diminished as people's rationality developed, and these rituals became less effective in sustaining religious beliefs.

Art, on the other hand, flourished as it embraced more diverse methods of expression. The representation of images, colors, and sounds in art progressed significantly with scientific advancements. Art's freedom and emotional expression contrasted with the rigid and ritualistic nature of religion.

As the power of religion declined, the influence of art continued to grow. The Renaissance, with its revival of Greek thought, marked the mature stage of this separation. The Renaissance leaders, including artists like Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo, were instrumental in shifting the focus from religious to humanistic ideas. The power of art, with its flexible and emotional expression, surpassed that of religion.

The Renaissance, therefore, signifies the maturity of the separation between religion and art. The power to comfort human emotions shifted from the hands of religious figures to the shoulders of artists.