Reformation and Counter-Reformation / Religious orders and their function in transmitting the language of the Counter-Reformation

Religious orders celebrated the founding saints with new iconography.

The foundation of some orders was celebrated with the canonisation of new saints. The image of Francis Xavier, the “Apostle of the Indies” increasingly associated with the presence of natives converted through his ministry, was widely used in the Society of Jesus beside St. Ignatius. The Capuchins characterised their settlements through the unique display of human bones as a reminder to meditate on death.
One of the most commonly revisited subjects was the Archangel Michael driving out the rebellious angels, the symbol of perpetual defence and victory of the Church over heresy always.

NameDynastyDetailsJustification
St. Francis Xavierc. 1700Diocese Museum of the Požega Diocese
Požega, Slavonia, Croatia
Francis Xavier was known as the "Apostle of the Indies" for his missionary work in the Far East. He played a central role in the iconography of the Jesuits. The gesture of the saint, dressed in his usual black habit and white surplice and in the act of baptising the natives, stands out against the sober brown background.
Invention of the Holy Cross 1653Capuchin Monastery and the Church of the Invention of the Holy CrossBrno, Moravia, Czech Republic
Crypt of the Capuchins in the Church of the Immaculate Conception1732–75Rome, Latium, ItalyCardinal Antonio Barberini, founder of the monastery and brother of Urban VIII, was a member of the Order of Capuchin Friars, which was established around 1520 in the name of a return to more pure Franciscan rule. In the 18th century, they turned the old mortuary deposits into architectural structures built and decorated with human bones.
NameDynastyDetailsJustification
Chapel of Bones in the Old Convent of St. Francis, Évora Basic structure: around 1515; decoration: 17th–18th century Évora, Évora, PortugalDuring the Baroque era, the prominent role given to the theme of a "good death" generated spectacular solutions, adding scenic accents to a devotion that had existed since the Middle Ages.
Paulines at PrayerAbout 1740Diocese Museum of the Zagreb Archdiocese
Zagreb, North-West Croatia, Croatia
Against a background of the Pauline Fathers in prayer is the mystical vision of the founder: the Agnus Dei between the Virgin and St. John the Baptist. Despite the seriousness of the subject, the scene has obvious Baroque decorative elements.
Church and Convent of Madre de Deus1509–1589Lisbon, Lisbon, PortugalThe simple single chamber, typical of Franciscan churches, is decorated with rich wooden intaglios and azulejos. The story unfolds in scenes that expand the spatial and luminous effect of the space.
NameDynastyDetailsJustification
Church and Convent of Madre de Deus1509–1589Lisbon, Lisbon, PortugalOn the bright azulejo landscape stands the ornate pulpit, the very essence of preaching and the Counter-Reformation message.
Church and Convent of Madre de Deus1509–1589Lisbon, Lisbon, PortugalIn addition to the brightness of the subject, the foreshortening brings the faithful into the same dimension as the story.
Paintings and azulejos of the nave and main chapel Ceiling paintings: c.1675–1690; triumphal arch paintings: c.1740–50; azulejos: 1698–1707; pulpit: 1747–1759; main altar: after 1755 Nave and main chapel, Church and Convent of Madre de DeusLisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Revelation of St. Joseph Calasanctius1755–1759Piarist Church of St. John the BaptistKroměříž, Moravia, Czech Republic