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French

ID: <

10670/1.80k7dn

>

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The debate on the representation of the saints in San Lorenzo del Escorial after the Trento concile

Abstract

International audience After the closure of the Council of Trent, Philip 2 gave his hagiography expert Ambrosio de Morales, the responsibility of the lectionary reform for his El Escorial palace-monastery, the construction of which had started in 1563. Lessons on the saints had to contain the representations of the saints according to the church, convent and college. For more than 20 years, italian and spanish artists worked on this iconographic program at El Escorial. This was done in application of the tridentin decree on “the conjuring up, the veneration of the saints' relics and the holy icones”. Ambrosio's written records, given to the king's review in 1565, offer a testimony of the limits given by traditionnal worships to the council's decree. Philip 2's annotations suggest that “erronous” traditions were maintained in place when true stories were missing. As for the representation of saints, three rules were proposed: being faithful to the truth, as much as authentified stories allowed, assuring dignity, which had become a main issue for the art of the catholic reform as well as pursuing simplicity which was mainly translated into conciseness of expression.

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