Reformation and Counter-Reformation
A persuasive language for religious art
As the 17th century progressed, the persuasive tools offered by Baroque art extended into urban spaces.
As the 17th century progressed, the persuasive tools offered by Baroque art were no longer limited to spaces inside buildings, but extended into urban spaces, understood in its constantly evolving and extraordinary scenic potential.
The great European monarchs and the papacy in Rome, promoted architectural projects that would qualify whole urban areas: the “theatre” of the city filled with statues, displays originally intended to be temporary that become permanent structures or functional elements that opened new views within ancient urban areas.
The directions of the Counter-Reformation are also present in the specific attention reserved for the creation of routes of mystical intensity, intended to evoke the pathos of the Passion of Christ in the souls of the faithful.
Lutheran Parish Church Holy Cross

1652/53: construction; 1730: decoration of the choir; 1748: renovation of the gallery of the organ; 1762/67: renovation of pulpit and altar
Augsburg, Bavarian Swabia, Germany
Architecture: Johann Jakob Kraus (1611–1672); paintings (beside the pulpit): Johann Heinrich Schönfeld (1609–1684); choir fresco: Johann Georg Bergmüller (1688–1762); designs for pulpit and altar: Johann Esaias Nilson (active 1721–1728); execution of pulpit and altar: Ignaz Wilhelm Verhelst (1729–1792)
The architectural structure of the church, illuminated by high, arch-shaped windows, well represents the typical model of a Protestant church.