Image, Religion and Rebellion: Use and Absence of Combative Art in Early Modern Catalonia

Abstract

The essential role played by art in the confessional conflicts of early modern Europe has been widely acknowledged in historiography. In this context, the propagandistic nature of images and their critical function vis-à-vis opposing factions have been the subject of extensive scholarly attention. However, in contrast to the widespread circulation of combative visual culture in German and Central European territories, this phenomenon was far less prevalent in the southern part of the continent. This article seeks to examine the situation of this artistic typology in the former Principality of Catalonia during the Early Modern period, analysing the factors that contributed to this apparent absence and focusing on the ways in which the region’s combative iconography was articulated.