Lillywhite, Marie-Louise (2013) The counter reformation and the decoration of Venetian churches 1563-1610 : San Giacomo dall'Orio, Santa Maria dell'Umiltà, the Redentore and San Giorgio Maggiore. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the effects that the religious changes heralded by the Counter Reformation and
the decrees regarding religious imagery and the Eucharist promulgated at the Council of Trent had
on the decoration of Venetian churches from the close of the Council in 1563 until the first years of
the seventeenth century. Although politically Venice shielded her independence from the power of
the Papacy, she nonetheless responded in conformity to the Tridentine decrees and played an
important role throughout the Cinquecento as a centre for religious renewal. In turn this had an
important impact on the fabric and decoration of the city’s churches, particularly in the last two
decades of the Cinquecento.
Focusing on four Venetian churches that were the objects of extensive decorative
programmes during the late Cinquecento; San Giacomo dall’Orio, Santa Maria dell’Umiltà, the
Redentore and San Giorgio Maggiore, this thesis combines archival and visual evidence to reach a
deeper understanding of how the decoration of the Venetian church changed in this period. The
central tenet of this thesis is that Venice made an important and early contribution towards
developing the ‘ideal’ visual response required by the Council of Trent. In the immediate aftermath
of the Council of Trent until the end of the century Venice enjoyed a period of important artistic
renewal and achievement. This ‘golden age’ emerged in the years following Trent and in a period
characterised by ongoing war and ravaging pestilence. Yet far from discouraging creative genius, the
contemporary religious and political upheaval appears to have challenged artists and patrons to ever
greater achievements. It thus appears that the conditions imposed by the Council of Trent created a
framework within which artists could better represent the values of the renewed Catholicism of the
late sixteenth century.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity N Fine Arts > NA Architecture N Fine Arts > NK Decorative arts Applied arts Decoration and ornament
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Church decoration and ornament -- Italy -- Venice -- History, San Giorgio maggiore (Church : Venice, Italy), Counter-Reformation -- Italy -- Venice, Counter-Reformation in art -- Italy -- Venice
Official Date:	April 2013
Dates:	Date Event April 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History of Art
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Bourdua, Louise, 1962-
Sponsors:	Arts & Humanities Research Council (Great Britain) (AHRC); Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
Description:	Illustrations not digitised for copyright reasons.
Extent:	xvi, 307 leaves, [126] pages of plates : illustrations.
Language:	eng

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