Art and Religion in Eighteenth Century Europe

Eighteenth-century Europe witnessed monumental upheavals in both the Catholic and Protestant faiths and the repercussions rippled down to the churches' religious art forms. In this major new study, Nigel Aston chronicles the intertwining of cultural and institutional turmoil during this pivotal century. The sustained production and popularity of religious art in the face of competition from increasingly prevalent secular artworks lies at the heart of this book. Religious art staked out new spaces of display in state institutions, palaces and private collections as well as taking advantage of state patronage from monarchs such as Louis XIV and George III, who funded religious art in an effort to enhance their national projects and monarchial prestige. Aston explores the motivations of private collectors and how they exhibited their artworks, and analyses changing Catholic and Protestant attitudes toward art. He examines purchases made by corporate patrons such as charity hospitals and religious confraternities, and considers what this reveals about the changing religiosity of eighteenth-century Europe. An in-depth historical study, "Art and Religion in Eighteenth-century Europe" will be essential for art history and religious studies scholars alike.

ISBN 1861893779   Pages 320 ISBN13 9781861893772 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Reaktion Books   Weight (grammes) 1066 Imprint Reaktion Books   Published in London Format Hardback   Height (mm) 225 Publication date 04 Jun 2009   Width (mm) 178 Library of Congress N7942   Spine width (mm) 28 DEWEY 709.4   Academic level Undergraduate DEWEY edition DC22

		Preface		7
		Introduction		9
1		The Reformation and Counter-Reformation Inheritance, c. 1520-1700		19
2		Art and the Religious Culture of Europe		41
3		The State and Religious Art		73
4		The Churches and Religious Art		101
5		Religious Art in Public Spaces Outside the Churches		133
6		Elite Private Patrons and Religious Art		153
7		Religious Buildings and their Contents		184
8		Funerary Art and Religious Life		214
9		Popular Religious Art in Europe		234
10		Religious Art and the Influence of the Market		256
11		Revolution and Religious Art		270
		Conclusion		288
		References		293
		Select Bibliography		324
		Acknowledgements		329
		Photo Acknowledgements		331
		Index		333

'an important book about a much-neglected subject, and it is my sincere wish that art historians read it. It reveals not only the importance of religion to eighteenth-century society but also the potential of art to contribute to that importance. Aston has given art historians his view of a large, intricate, mostly still-uncharted field of immensely rich material.' - CAA Reviews 'This remarkable book masterfully combines history of art and religious history and is a must read for everyone interested in early modern Christianity, since it successfully challenges established interpretations of religion and provides a magisterial overview of the contexts in which religious art during the 18th century was produced and received.' - Theological Studies 'a highly important contribution to our knowledge of the role of religion and its imagery in European culture from 1700 to 1800.' - Sehepunkte 'The author's capacity to sweep his gaze across Europe from Stockholm to Lisbon and from Dublin to St Petersburg is dazzling.' - Art Newspaper 'Aston's luminous book' - Catholic Herald

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