Reformation: Change requires cost

 The Sack of Lyon by the Calvinists in 1562 is an oil painting on wood created by artist Antoine Caron in 1565 depicting the destruction of religious art, icons, illustrations, relics and altarpiece in France.

Following the 95 Theses posted by Martin Luther denouncing many common practices in the Catholic church, the start of the Reformation began, i.e. a reforming of the church.  The sale of "indulgences" was a common and lucrative practice where in a person could "buy forgivness" and secure their place in the afterlife.  Sadly, fear and money are a poor combination and the Catholic church was heavily taking advantage.  The Reformation brought about new ways of interpreting and teaching the Bible, leading to a revolt against the Catholic church in a nearly extreme opposite direction.  

It was (and still is today) practice to venerate (to honor, give regard to, show respect or deference to) icons, relics and locations within churches or holy places.  It is how we may show honor or respect to a grave now.  We keep it clean, don't walk on it, remain quiet, decorate with flowers...  These icons and relics are works of art depicting people or places of honor.  (A relic may be a painting of a person of honor with a portion of their bones or ashes secured within the painting).  

The Reformation brought about strong opposition of this practice by groups of people stating that veneration of icons was idolatry or the worship of something other than God leading to iconoclast acts or the destruction of these works of art in the church.  

The above painting is, I believe, an accurate depiction of the chaos created by the inconoclasts.  The revolt against some of the greedy practices of the Catholic church were warrented but brought about confusion and violence.  We see above guns, swords and fire with people taking holy pieces of art and others trying to stop them.  It is chaotic!  For me, this painting is a wonderful visual representation of the general feeling, both externally and internally, that the Reformation brought about.  Reform is never an easy, simple or clean task with destruction a common byproduct of change.  Unholy practices were being taught and done within the church and rebellion of those unholy acts brought about the destruction of holy things.  It is a dilemma faced over and over again in history when change is wanted or required.  

Source:
Renauld, Marie-Madeleine. https://www.thecollector.com/art-artists-protestant-reformation-hans-holbein/ Dec. 24, 2021.

Unknown. The Sack of Lyon by Calvinists. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15794/the-sack-of-lyon-by-calvinists/ May 6, 2022.
 

Comments

  1. VaughanJune 17, 2024 at 8:07 AM

    Hi Lily,

    Before I begin, I wanted to give my thanks for sharing this work and your thoughts on it with me and the rest of the class. You clearly put some time and effort into this blog, and it comes through nicely. The piece you chose to highlight, The Sack of Lyon, was something that I very much enjoyed viewing. Not only does this work boast detailed and highly skilled art, but it also depicts an incredibly important historical event. The bustle and chaos shown within makes me feel as if I had front row seats to the sacking that occurred. This combined with your amazing thoughts and background information of the piece results in a great blog post. Superb job!

    Vaughan

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  2. Jack WittJune 17, 2024 at 1:44 PM

    This work shows a very tense time in history. I am impressed that it was turned into such a beautiful work of art! The sacking of Lyon was certainly an important time in the renaissance. There was both an awakening of the scholarly spirit in multiple cultures, but there was also religious turmoil. I honestly did not know about the religious problems that rose up in this time, only about the rise of the sciences and arts. This piece of art spreads awareness of the harm that too much fear can cause, and also that good (in this case the painting) can be found in or made from something bad.

    ReplyDelete
  3. jlarsonJune 18, 2024 at 7:23 AM

    Hi Lily,

    The Sack of Lyon by the Calvinists in 1562 is a significant event in history due to its impact on the French Wars of Religion. It's appealing from a historical perspective because it reflects the religious and political tensions of the time, and it had far-reaching consequences for the region. The event also serves as a reminder of the complex interactions between different religious and political factions during that period.
    The relationship to the theme of the Renaissance in connection to "The Sack of L" could be examined through the portrayal of humanism, classical revival, and the patronage of the arts. This event could be seen as a reflection of the political and social turmoil of the time, as well as the impact of such historical events on the arts and culture of the Renaissance period.
    The painting is a wonderful depiction of what the Reformation was like coming to town.

    Jordan

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rusty GrayJune 19, 2024 at 4:32 PM

    Hi Lily,
    I have to admit I’m conflicted looking at this piece. It’s beautiful and awful at the same time but handled with a great amount of appreciation and care by the artist. The use of color to enhance the perspective is quite interesting. The bold colors and defining lines are at the forefront scene. In contrast, the background figures are almost translucent and ghostlike. One of the most jarring attributes to me is the statue of the crucifixion being thrown on the fire. It makes me wonder if the artist was mourning the lost art or commenting on the Reformation itself. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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