5 Facts about the Counter-Reformation in Art You Need to Know

1. It was a response to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century

What was the Protestant Reformation and then the Counter-Reformation? The story began in England when King Henry VIII asked the Roman Catholic Church for an annulment from his wife, Katherine of Aragon. Although they were married for 24 years, Henry VIII was displeased they had not produced a male heir. Due to his ambition, he needed their marriage annulled so his future children with Anne Boleyn would be legitimate heirs to the throne of England. To clarify, an annulment from the Pope would mean the marriage no longer legally existed. Unfortunately for Henry VIII, the Pope denied his request.

As a result, Henry VIII decided to break from the Roman Catholic Church and form the Church of England. However, he had the help of Martin Luther—a protestant reformation leader who Henry had originally disputed. It can be argued that Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, not Henry VIII. However, both significantly impacted the spread of Protestantism throughout Europe.

Therefore, the Protestant Reformation was a major religious movement that established a new branch of Christianity separate from the Roman Catholic Church. The Counter-Reformation, on the other hand, was the Catholic Church’s response to the Reformation, hoping to reestablish Catholicism throughout Europe. Of course, art was the main source of propaganda used by the Catholic Church.

Art, such as Scipione Pulzone’s The Lamentation, is the perfect example of how the Catholic Church spread its beliefs during the Counter-Reformation. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website, this painting was made for the chapel of the Passion of Christ in the Church of the Gesù in Rome. Its purpose was for viewers to meditate on the Entombment of Christ as described in a book by Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

2. It started at the Council of Trent

The print from the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae (The Mirror of Roman Magnificence) shows the Council of Trent, first held in 1545. The Council comprised Catholic Church officials who met about 25 times over 18 years. During each meeting, they discussed plans for dealing with Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.

The Council of Trent, seen in Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae, is an example of one print published by Antonio Salamanca and Antonio Lafreri. These foreign publishers were actively producing prints of artwork, architecture, and city views related to Rome.

Overall, at the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church declared that art was the most useful tool for promoting their beliefs and thus successfully concluded the necessity of religious art.

3. Art focused on honoring Catholic Saints and other holy endeavors

A wonderful example of this is El Greco’s 1580s Repentance of Peter. Although it was not a popular subject before the Counter-Reformation, this image of Peter repenting made a strong statement against Protestantism because it showed the sacrament of Confession.

Saint Peter was known in the Catholic Church for showing humility and repentance. The Church’s message during this troubling time was that even someone flawed like Peter could inspire people.

Interestingly, El Greco was an active artist during the Renaissance in Spain and was a devout Catholic. Spain was also one of the territories that the Catholic Church successfully reclaimed during the Counter-Reformation. This would make sense since all his work coincides with the Counter-Reformation. His artwork is dramatic and bold, which his religious patrons enjoyed.

4. Counter-Reformation art used dramatic lighting to create an emotional impact to allure viewers

Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes is one of the best examples of dramatic Counter-Reformation art. At first, this painting might seem extreme due to the gore and blood of the act Judith is performing. And while we just talked about how art aimed to persuade people back to the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation, so did this painting. This scene shows an Old Testament story of a Jewish woman saving her people from war. While this image was produced since the 1400s, it was the first time it was depicted with such dramatic realism.

As a result, it aligned with the Counter-Reformation ideals of art—it showed a virtuous woman overcoming an enemy, just like the Catholic Church was fighting against Protestantism. Caravaggio’s use of light and dark values only reinforces the thematic Catholic message to engage viewers.

5. Counter-Reformation greatly affected famous artists such as Michelangelo, Titian, and Albrecht Dürer

Because the Catholic Church was the largest art patron, many artist’s works were scrutinized for not accurately depicting religious images. The Church was clearly concerned with its image during the Reformation and was actively trying to counter-reform. Unfortunately, a lot of art was destroyed by Protestant Reformation followers. However, it allowed artists and the Catholic Church to produce even more art to fill churches they reclaimed.

An example of how art was scrutinized is best recognized through Paolo Veronese’s Feast in the House of Levi. The painting was originally called The Last Supper but was under investigation by the Venetian Holy Inquisition. According to them, the painting did not accurately depict The Last Supper according to the Bible and Catholic beliefs. They claimed it showed people acting foolish and dressed in ridiculous clothing. Because of this, Veronese was forced to change the title of the work to its current name.