Artibus et Historiae no. 47 (XXIV)
2003, ISSN 0391-9064Up
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GOLDA BALASS - Five Hierarchies of Intercessors for Salvation: The Decoration of the Angels' Chapel in the Gesù
The Angels' Chapel in the Church of the Gesù in Rome was painted in the last decade of the 16th century. While the iconographic program of the chapel's decoration reflects the tenets of the Counter-Reformation Church, it is also notably congruent with Jesuit concerns. This article provides a detailed interpretation of the chapel's fresco cycle within two interdependent contexts: the Catholic-Protestant conflict over cardinal theological issues, and the Catholic belief in the hierarchical intercession for salvation. Furthermore, the discussion provides an understanding of how the visual arts served the post-Tridentine Church.