Reforming the Cult of Saints

During the second half of the sixteenth century the form and function of Christian art became a theological issue. In the spirit of the Counter-Reformation, Catholic patrons and theologians criticized and censored the work of many Renaissance artists over claims of scriptural inaccuracy, indecorousness, and gratuitous display in religious images. However great their artistic quality and influence, Michelangelo’s Last Judgment and Veronese’s banqueting scenes became exemplars of the errors of late Renaissance artists. Catholic reformers attacked Michelangelo for his use of nude figures, and the Roman Inquisition questioned Veronese about the extraneous details and lavish setting in his Last Supper, which he renamed The House of Levi to satisfy his accusers. Still insisting upon the potential value of sacred art and its ability to teach and inspire viewers, Catholic figureheads empowered the next generation of artists to reform the Church and prepare believers for the new challenges that faced Catholicism.

Images of saints became the pivot point around which these aims revolved. As violent religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants escalated throughout the Reformation period, Catholic imagery of the cult of saints underwent a transformation. Rather than portraying saints as peaceful, idealized holy figures, late sixteenth- and seventeenth century artists emphasized the violence of martyrdom and self-sacrifice of penitent saints. In illustrating extreme moments of suffering and torture, artists portrayed the saints’ anguish dramatically transforming into mystical visions and encounters with the divine. By disseminating such prints and drawings to audiences throughout the global Catholic Church, these devotional images taught believers the art of suffering well.