Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa and Pozzo’s Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius use of Propaganda
The Protestant Reformation was a religious and political revolution which occurred during the sixteenth century when people began to question the Catholic Church’s authority. Due to the Catholic Church’s overuse of power and authority, many people chose to disconnect themselves from the Church; as a result the Catholic Church lost many of its supporters. Following the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church attempted many different methods of propaganda to gain back their followers. During this time the Baroque style became extremely popular and was used among many artists. The Baroque style is characterized by dramatic elements, the intense use of
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This fascinating painting is filled with symbolic figures, and also conveys the importance of moral order. The Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius is based on the Triumph of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Sayre 687). Saint Ignatius of Loyla was a dedicated traditionalist and his set of guidelines was a response to the upheaval caused by the Protestant Reformation. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuits which were also known as the Society of Jesus, they were responsible for leading the Counter-Reformation which aimed to increase religious faith within the Roman Catholic Church (Sayre 684). Andrea Pozzo became a Jesuit which influenced his artwork; the purpose of the Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius is to express the intentions of the Jesuits and expand the Roman Catholic beliefs to gain back followers. Sayre stated that, “All agreed that the purpose of religious art was to teach and inspire the faithful, that it should always be intelligible and realistic, and that it should be emotional stimulus to peity (Sayre 684). Even if a viewer does not understand exactly what is going on in this painting, the amazing details and unique perspective will catch the viewers’ attention and make them feel as if they are standing inside the church of Sant'Ignazio. This artwork suddenly gives viewers a strong emotional response and …show more content…
Teresa is a sculpture created by the Baroque artist Gianlorenzo Bernini. Bernini included religion along with a strong sense of sexuality in his sculpture of Teresa. In this sculpture, an angel is standing over Teresa with an arrow in his hand, while Teresa’s facial expression suggests that she is having a sexual orgasm. This sculpture was based on Saint Teresa’s description of her sensual experience with an angel (Sayre 681). The imagery Bernini uses suggests that Teresa she is feeling an intense physical desire, and a strong emotional connection to the Angel and Christ. This sculpture is extremely dramatic, and expresses intense human emotion and sexuality. Although I do not believe it is effective propaganda due to the symbolism, in order for viewers to understand this sculpture they would need to know the story of Teresa, and understand what is happening in the sculpture. I believe that affective propaganda should be appealing to the eye, but also give viewers an emotional response as soon as they view the artwork, without needing to analyze
After the idealism of the Renaissance (c.1400-1530), Baroque art above all reflected the religious tensions of the age - notably the desire of the Catholic Church in Rome (as annunciated at the Council of Trent, 1545-63) to reassert itself in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. Thus it is almost synonymous with Catholic Counter-Reformation Art of the period. This period is often thought of as a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, theater, and music. The style began around 1600 in Rome, Italy, and spread to most of
The people saw a painting of Mary as a path of communication. The people of Siena, now visually inspired to pray for the well-being and peace of the city, were ecstatic at the sight of the finished altarpiece.
The Ecstasy of St. Theresa was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and is found in the Cornaro Chapel. This sculpture illustrates many aspects of Counter Reformation architecture: different ecclesiastical orders, use of saint, intercession, and dramatic use of lighting. Since intercession was depicted in Bernini's work, it didn’t evade scrutiny of the actual Inquisition. The Counter Reformation Church used this so that they could monitor all of the religious art. They did this to make sure that it followed the correct guidelines of the Council. Another aspect that Bernini’s sculpture demonstrated was the Council's desire for emotions to be shown to the viewers.
Part One: Apollo and Daphne, a Baroque sculpture, was chiseled by Bernini during the time of the Catholic Reformation, or Counter-Reformation. The Catholic Reformation was when the Catholic Church began a movement to gain a larger following of Catholicism and reclaim power. As a result, church leaders (in this case Cardinal Borghese) commissioned works of art that had a sensory appeal and could evoke a more emotional response by capturing the attention of its observer. For this reason, Apollo and Daphne, a marble sculpture, engages the observer with its movement and dynamic portrayal of human bodies. With its attention to details such as texture and near life-like portrayal, Apollo and Daphne draws in the viewer just as the Catholic Reformation aimed to draw in followers of the church.
The painting The Holy Family with Saints Anne and John the Baptist, 1592 (oil on canvas) was created by Italian painter Sofonisba Anguissola (c.1532-1625). It is currently held at the Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, as a gift from Mrs. Forbes Hawkes and Bridgeman Images. This painting is among the unique pious narrative paintings by Anguissola. “The Holy Family” is the last dated painting by the artist. It was executed when she had just returned to Italy after spending 14 years working for King Philip II at the Spanish court. By this time, she had already married to a Genoese ship captain. Her various visits to court and her personal contacts with great painter at that time largely inspired herself. Through these contacts, she successfully stayed in touch with current developments in art. By closely observing this masterpiece, I argue that the artist perfectly sustain the beauty of counter-reformation arts in her work by use of light and shadow, delicate brushwork and accurate proportions of each subjects.
"You learnt everything, Ignatius, except how to be a human being" (375). Chained to a dominant character who is so vast and yet so embryonic that he is not only protagonist but also, in many ways, his own antagonist, The Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole, has been called "a broad satirical view of the modern world" (Holditch "Introduction" The Neon Bible xi). Since this short definition fails to explain that the view presented is primarily that of the slug-like character of Ignatius Jacques Reilly, it also fails to take into account that one's view from the womb is, of necessity, somewhat limited. Although Ignatius is thirty years old and has a Master's
At the crest of the Church of the Gesù in Rome, an aureate burst attracts an equivalent infinity of attention to the infinity of light that it emits. Borne of Italian baroque painter Giovanni Battista “Baciccio” Gaulli, this aureate burst is the center of the illusionistic ceiling fresco Triumph of the Name of Jesus. It is initially unclear what is being beheld, but it demands attention nonetheless. By simultaneously depicting and inciting the spectacle of this aureate burst, Gaulli arouses a discussion of the nature of visual representation and the fundamental role of a viewer. Gaulli asserts his position as an artist and emphasizes the viewer’s duty to an image—and to an artist—by demanding the viewer to include themselves among the enamored
Whereas Ignatius’ rather nonsensical pessimistic worldview comes from his sense of being morally greater than his society (and, therefore, from looking at it in disgust), and from a position of general opulence, Elie’s stems from a macabre realization that all people, including himself, are bestial and selfish, and from a position of total destitution.
The letter to the Philadelphians follows next and like the first few letters continues to emphasise the role of the bishop. I believe even if Ignatius was not a Bishop himself he would still stress the importance of the bishop in the Church. To Ignatius the bishop is a sacred and important role in keeping order and spreading the word throughout the Church. In the previous letters Ignatius says that through the bishop you will find unity in the Church, to the Philadelphians he says through the bishop you will protect yourselves from schism and heresy in the Church. It is also in this letter that Ignatius warns specifically to not listen to the Jews. This comportment towards the Jews was common in early Christianity and can be seen throughout
This paper will compare the themes found in the paintings “Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and an Angel” by Domenico di Bartolomeo Ubaldini (Puligo) and “Madonna Enthroned” by Giotto. Both paintings deal with fables from the Christian faith but were executed during different periods in art. The Giotto painting was created around 1310 and the Puglio painting was executed between 1518 – 1520. Here, these two paintings have similar themes both at the extreme beginnings and endings of the Italian Renaissance, and as such they serve to present an exceptional example of the developments in art that occurred within that time. This paper shall compare
•The creation of the baroque style—an art style full of emotion, flamboyancy, symbolism, vigor, and subtlety—largely as a product of the Catholic Church patronage of the arts
Ignatius of Loyola: Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a local noble family , hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), and on April 19, 1541 became the first Superior General.
First, we visit St. Peter’s Basilica and Adjoining Piazza in Rome. The beautiful structure still used today, initially was brought to fruition by Donato Bramante as a temple shaped like a Greek cross. Quickly Pope Paul V rejected the design, deeming the Greek cross to be pagan-like. He commissioned Carlo Maderno to make some changes to the floor plan, adjusting the look into a Latin cross. The florid baroque styles are seen entering the Apse and Alter, which “symbolized the power and richness of the church” (392). The sculptures throughout, specifically in the Apse, are dramatic and real, shunning classical styles.
This paper will compare the themes found in the paintings "Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and an Angel" by Domenico di Bartolomeo Ubaldini (Puligo) and "Madonna Enthroned" by Giotto. Both paintings deal with fables from the Christian faith but were executed during different periods in art. The Giotto painting was created around 1310 and the Puglio painting was executed between 1518 1520. Here, these two paintings have similar themes both at the extreme beginnings and endings of the Italian Renaissance, and as such they serve to present an exceptional example of the developments in art that occurred within that time. This paper shall compare
Once gracing the lavish floor of Getty Center, the Coronation of the Virgin which was painted by the extraordinary Italian artist Gentile da Fabriano in 1420, attracted many attentions by its sacredness, powerfulness and magic of the Christ. At 36 ⅝ inches and 25 ¼ inches size tempera, Christ gently places the ornate gold grown upon Virgin Mary's slightly bowed head by the watching of angels from either side as she becomes the Queen of Heaven. Since the first century, Christianity has played an important role in Western Art, which has inspired numerous artists in making their masterpieces. However, artists must follow the religious ‘rules to build up the imagery of the Christ, and educate audience about the religious. Coronation of the Virgin by Fabriano is a perfect presentation of that.