Browse Hierarchy HIST7013: The Protestant Reformation and the Arts

The abstract theological debates of the Reformation had a significant impact upon the lives of ordinary people. The churches in which they worshipped were remodelled, the traditional Catholic rituals and practices that governed their lives were reformed. This module will examine one of the key features of the Reformation that affected ordinary people across Europe, the changing attitudes towards the visual arts. Within a comparative framework this module will explore the impact that the Reformation had upon art, architecture, music and sculpture in the early modern period. It will consider contemporary debates on the role of images, the psychology of religious violence and the political implications of iconoclasm. The module will also explore the contradictions and differences that emerged across Europe and in different Protestant cultures.