Art and religion have long been connected, but a new exhibit coming to the Indianapolis Museum of Art examines that relationship in an eye-opening manner.

“Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World” goes beyond the physical boundaries of the works themselves to explore the inspiration, perhaps even the soul, behind them.

Opening for an exclusive run on Oct. 11, “Sacred Spain” brings more than 70 works to the IMA — some never before seen in the United States, and perhaps rarely viewed in their countries of origin.

“These works have never been in the same room before,” said IMA chief designer David Russick, “and they will never be in the same room again.”

Through paintings, sculpture, metalwork and books, the show spotlights religious culture as represented by 17th-century artistic powerhouses such as El Greco, Diego Velazquez, Bartolom Esteban Murillo and others.

But rather than take the traditional academic approach — viewing the works solely through a historical or aesthetic lens — this exhibit delves into the actual uses of the pieces.

“It seems to me to be a little narrow-minded not to acknowledge what the purpose of the art was,” said Ronda Kasl, the IMA’s senior curator of painting and sculpture before 1800.

“And it’s not typically something that museums do. Most exhibitions in Spanish art tend to be monographic — the greatest works of Velazquez or the greatest works of Murillo. Or they tend to focus on patronage — art under the reign of Philip II. But not on the purpose or the function of the artwork,” said Kasl. “(This exhibit) is a departure.”

The concept has been more than a decade in the making. Kasl formally proposed “Sacred Spain” 10 years ago, but had been considering doing such an exhibit for much longer.

“It grows out of a longstanding interest in how works of art function in the practice of belief,” she said. “What do people believe to be true about them, and how do they use them, and how do they receive them? I wanted to put together an exhibition that would give people an opportunity to reflect on some of those issues, to really reflect on what happens visually at the intersection of belief and the imagination.”

A $1 million grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation helped bring Kasl’s vision to life, and also will allow for free public admission to the show.

However, putting that vision into action wasn’t easy.

Forty-five lenders are providing pieces, most based in Spain or Mexico, with Peru and Great Britain also involved. The works not only come from other museums (including the esteemed Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid), but also from individual collections, churches, monasteries — even royal collections.

“Every single loan had to be negotiated, and every single lender had to be convinced that it was worthwhile to participate in the project,” said Kasl. “Shipping works of art around the world is pretty risky business. Lenders have to be convinced that it’s really worth it.”

Even more so when the pieces include such notables as the gold Crown of the Andes, an object that Russick calls “a heart-stopping moment in the exhibit.” Boasting 447 emeralds, the Crown holds the oldest and largest emerald collection in the world.

Another rarity is “Cristo Yacente,” a lifesize sculpture of the Passion of Christ created by Juan Sanchez Barba. The stunningly realistic piece has never been seen beyond the Spanish town of Navalcarnero, where it is used in Holy Week processions.

What persuaded the lenders to temporarily part with their treasures?

“I think they were convinced of the scholarly merit of (the exhibit),” said Kasl, who also worked closely with two key advisers, Javier Portus, the Prado’s curator of Spanish Baroque painting, and Concepcion Garcia Saiz, director of the Museo de America in Madrid and an expert on Latin American art.

“They not only advised on specific pieces we should try to borrow, but on people we should contact in order to negotiate it. . . . That lent a lot of credibility to the project from the very beginning. But at the end of the day, you personally have to go talk to them about the show. So I’ve visited every single lender, some of them more than once, to persuade them to lend.”

The result is a one-of-kind show that’s attracting international interest. Kasl fields daily inquiries from contacts in Spain and Mexico seeking advice on travel to Indianapolis, and an exhibit-related symposium Oct. 16 and 17 has registrants from around the world.

That interest also extends beyond those with religious ties or an art background, she says.

“(The works) are beautiful and stunning and kind of shocking in some ways. . . . Whether you’re a believer or whether you know a thing about Spanish art, it doesn’t really matter. It’s a very compelling visual experience.”