Rubens and the Dominican church in Antwerp: art and political economy in an age of religious conflict

Abstract

"This book is about the Dominican church in Antwerp (today St Paul's). It is structured around three works of art, made or procured by Peter Paul Rubens: the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary cycle (in situ), Caravaggio's Rosary Madonna (Vienna) and the Wrath of Christ high altarpiece (Lyon). Within the artist's lifetime, the church and monastery were completely rebuilt, creating one of the most spectacular sacred spaces in Northern Europe. The author reconceptualises early modern churches as theatres of political economy, advancing an original approach to cultural production in a time of war. Using methodologies at the cutting edge of the humanities, the place of St Paul's is restored to the crux of Antwerp's commercial, civic and religious life"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Guns and Rosaries: The Ecclesia Laicorum as a Realm of Memory -- The Mystery Machine: The Cycle as a Proponent of Piety and Peace -- 'Outstandingly Great Art yet Not High in Price': The Rosary Madonna as a Sacred Commodity -- Four Liefhebbers and a Funeral: Procuring The Rosary Madonna for Profit, Fame and Love -- Apocalypse Later: Michaël Ophovius and the Ecclesia Fratrum.