Saint Ignatius Loyola with saints and martyrs of the Jesuit order 1650 - 1699

Alessandro Algardi made this bronze relief of Saint Ignatius Loyola with saints and martyrs of the Jesuit order. The image presents an ideal of Catholic virtue at a time of crisis for the church. Made in Italy, probably in the 1640s, this bronze represents the founder of the Jesuit order surrounded by his most pious followers. The composition creates meaning through its very density, the press of bodies suggesting the pervasiveness of the church’s influence in everyday life. The bronze medium conveys a sense of permanence and authority, and we might consider how the image embodies the power relations between the church and its subjects. For centuries, powerful institutions have turned to art to promote their values. Here, the universal appeal of religion is fused with the particular interests of the Catholic Church. An understanding of the Counter-Reformation in Italy is essential to understand how the visual arts served its ideological purposes. Resources in social history can help us to appreciate the social conditions that shape artistic production.