Catholic and Protestant Cultural Differences

What was Protestant Iconoclasm and where did it occur?

A widespread movement (1523-1566) rejecting religious imagery as idolatrous. Major episodes occured in Zurich, Basel, Copenhagen, Munster, Geneva, Augsburg, Scotland, Rouen, and the Low Countries.

What was the “Iconoclastic Fury” (Beeldenstorm of 1566?

A wave of Protestant-led destruction of Catholic religious art and icons across the Netherlands, including the Church of Our Lady in Antwerp and St. Stevenskerk in Nijmegan.

Why was religious imagery attacked by Protestants?

Protestants emphasized sola scriptura and direct personal relationship to God, viewing religious imagery as a distraction from true faith.

How did the Catholic Church respond to Protestant iconoclasm in art?

Through the Third Tridentine Council (1561-63), which emphasized:

• Art must communicate religious themes with direct emotional involvement

• Churches should have central spaces close to the altar

• Overhead domes symbolize union of heaven and earth

• Ornate decoration using techniques like trompoe I’oeil

What changes occured in Catholic art after the Council of Trent?

• Decline of donor portraits (personalized religious art)

• Censorship of nudity, seen as inappropriate after Renaissance excesses

• Increased emphasis on decorum and pious emotional appeal

What is the meaning and origin of the word “Baroque”

Derived from the termm for irregularly shaped pearls; initially used for music, then applied to art/architecture from 1600-1750. Popularized by historian Jacob Burckhardt in 1855.

What are the features of Baroque Catholic art and churches?

• Emotional intensity and theatricality

• Dramatic lighting and movement

• Trompe I’oeil effects (visual illusion)

• Example: Church of Gesu in Rome (1584)

Who were the major Catholic Baroque artists?

• Caravaggio(1571-1610): “Jesus is buried,” “Judith slays Holoferness”

• Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640): “The Slaying of the Innocents”

• Francisco de Zurbaran (1598-1664): “The Immaculate Conception,” “The Flight into Egypt”

How did Baroque Catholic art reflect Counter-Reformation goals?

It evoked emotional devotion, illustrated Catholic doctrine visually, and countered Protestant emphaiss on plain worship spaces.

How did Protestant (especially Dutch) art differ from Catholic art in the 17th century?

• Focused on secular subjects: still lifes, domestic scenes, landscapes, and “morality plays”

• Religious patronage declined; art markets became private and commercial.

Name major artists of the Dutch Golden Age and their styles.

• Pieter Claesz: Still lifes "(“Still Life with Crab and Peeled Lemon”)

• Jan Brueghel: Landscapes and detailed nature scenes.

• Jan Vermeer: Everyday life and portraits (“Girl with a Pearl Earring”)

• Jan Steen: Genre scenes showing daily life and humor (“Beware of Luxury”)

• Jacob van Ruisdael: Landscape masterpieces

How did Protestant religious views influence Dutch painting?

Protestants rejected religious imagery in churches, leading artists to depict secular life while embedding moral and religious lessons subtly into scenes of everyday existence.

What are the major differences between Catholic and Protestant art in the early modern period?

• Catholic: Religious imagery encouraged, Baroque grandeur, emotional appeal

• Protestant: Iconoclasm, secular subjects, private moral reflection in art.