The Crypt in the Monastry of San Benedetto in Subiaco, Italy 1843

Martinus Rørbye painted ‘The Crypt in the Monastery of San Benedetto in Subiaco, Italy’ sometime in the 1840s. It shows the interior of a working religious space, with locals, clergy and visitors going about their day. Painted during a period of increased secularisation in Europe, we might consider what this image says about the place of religion in everyday life. The space is shared and inhabited by locals, and yet the artist takes care to emphasise its architectural grandeur and its self-conscious performance of religious ritual. We see an institutional setting, but one in which faith is part of the fabric of society. For a deeper reading, historians might explore how such spaces were represented at this time. The archives of the monastery itself might reveal more about its relationship to the local community. Understanding the social and institutional context helps us to see how art acts as a mirror to its time.