Customer Reviews

Propaganda and the Jesuit Baroque (Ahmanson Murphy Fine Arts Imprint)

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This art history book, suitable for undergraduates and accessible by anyone with a college course or self taught in art history, taught me new things. One new thing was that the meaning of the word "propaganda" has changed over time. Applied to a portion of the Catholic church in the 17th century, the College of the Propaganda was formed by Pope Gregory XV to oversee foreign missions. By the middle of the 19th century the common noun had come to mean any association, systematic scheme, or concerted movement for the propagation of a particular doctrine (OED). Nowadays it has a mostly negative connotation. So the Baroque propaganda referred to in Prof. Levy's book is the message of the church conveyed through art, not a negative value judgement by the author about that message.

Another thing I learned was the use of multiple forms of art as propaganda. Before I understood the older definition of propaganda I instinctively thought of written works only. But early in the book Prof. Levy demonstrates how various factions through history have used visual art and architecture as part of the delivery of their particular doctrine.

This book is not light summer or airplane reading. But the reader interested in extending their view of art history who is willing to read carefully and thoughtfully, and maybe even go to a reference or two, will enjoy this book.