Originally Posted by TakuanSoho

To expand the question a tad, the lack of understanding of a religion can affect the understanding of the art in question. For instance, how much of us can really appreciate Hindu art without understanding what the significance of what some of the figures mean? I mean pure aesthetics can only carry one so far. I do know that I began to appreciate Buddhist art a heck of a lot more when I begin to know more about it and all those saint pictures mean more when you know the symbolism involved regarding each saint.

Now of course anyone can learn this outside of accepting the religion.