This Colloquium looks into the materiality and mobility of small, portable devotional objects so central in Catholic devotion, such as crucifixes, blessed beads, images, rosaries, medals and the wax talismans known as Agnus Dei. Taking cue from the so-called material turn and recent interests in material religion, a group of twelve experts will explore how these objects functioned in devotional practices, and how they were instrumental in constructing identities, both on individual and collective levels. A special interest will be in the growing preoccupations of church authorities with the correct handling of these objects, both in global missionary endeavors and in areas where the authority of the pope was no longer accepted, such as Elizabethan England and the Low Countries.
Maarten van Heemskerck, Portrait of unknown woman, c. 1540/45, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, long-term loan from Hofje van Codde.
In the sixteenth century, Maarten van Heemskerck (Heemskerck 1498-Haarlem 1574) was a one of the greatest, most widely-admired artists in Holland. In 2024, the first major retrospective of his work will appear in three museums: the Frans Hals Museum, Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar and Teyler’s Museum. Heemskerck’s early career is the focus in the Frans Hals Museum’s exhibition from 27 September 2024 till 19 January 2025. More information about the exhibition here: https://www.franshalsmuseum.nl/en/event/maarten-van-heemskerck/
