Call for Papers: Performing piety. Scenes from the restoration of the Catholic landscape in the Habsburg Netherlands (1600-1620)
(RSA Berlin; March 26-28, 2015
In the second half of the sixteenth century Protestantism was surging throughout Europe. A struggle over sites, structures and artefacts followed, ensued by a vigorous policy to restore Catholicism. When Isabella was appointed sovereign of the Netherlands in 1598, she encountered territories completely exhausted by years of civil war, famine and plague. All over the country, the religious infrastructure was severely damaged and the people were disillusioned with regard to governmental rule. These newly minted rulers were committed to the restoration of the Catholic landscape.
This session aims to address the performances of piety that the regime of the archdukes Albert and Isabella (1598-1621) exhibited during the restoration of the Catholic landscape in the Habsburg Netherlands. As an important and independent actor with a specific program, the archducal regime is known to have made generous contributions to the (re)establishment of Catholicism. The contributions did not only concern the physical landscape – through their patronage of the restoration and refurbishing of Catholic buildings or art projects praising the Church – but also the devotional landscape – establishment of new religious orders, their performance at important feasts, (Catholic) ceremonies or pilgrimages, etc.
We invite papers that consider these archducal interventions in the Catholic restoration in the Southern Netherlands. Paper topics include, but are not limited to:
- Case studies of arts or architecture praising the Church achieved through financial assistance of the archdukes
- Performance of the archdukes in religious ceremonies
- Encouragement of particular devotions such as the Eucharist by the archdukes
- (Theoretical aspects of) the policy of donations of the archdukes
- Links between Catholic restoration and Habsburg rule
Please submit an abstract (< 150 words) with title, keywords, and a short CV (< 300 words) by June 9th to Dagmar Germonprez (dagmar.germonprez@uantwerpen.be)
