Art History Illustrated: “Bedazzling the Dead: The Art of Baroque Reliquaries”
Thursday, October 20, 2022
6:30-7:30 PM
The cult of relics (body parts of saints) was integral to medieval Christianity, but it saw a second Golden Age during the Baroque period of the 17th century. Many medieval reliquaries (containers for relics), along with their contents, had been destroyed during the Protestant Reformation, so when a previously unknown catacomb was discovered in Rome in 1578, the remains of countless early Christians were reassembled, richly decorated with extravagant fabrics, gold, and gemstones, and dispersed throughout Northern Europe. Join art historian Brenda Edgar to get to know these sparkling skeletal saints!
Join us for our “Art History Illustrated” talk series, held the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. This monthly illustrated talk series is presented by art historian Brenda Edgar, in collaboration with the Carnegie Center for Art and History.
Image: St Valentinus, in the Waldsassen Basilica, Germany