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1 Catholic Transtemporality Through the Lens of Andrea Pozzo and The 1 Catholic Transtemporality through the Lens of Andrea Pozzo and the Jesuit Catholic Baroque A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Emily C. Thomason August 2020 © 2020 Emily C. Thomason. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Catholic Transtemporality through the Lens of Andrea Pozzo and the Jesuit Catholic Baroque by EMILY C. THOMASON has been approved for the School of Art + Design and the College of Fine Arts by Samuel Dodd Lecturer, School of Art + Design Matthew R. Shaftel Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 Abstract THOMASON, EMILY C, M.A., August 2020, Art History Catholic Transtemporality through the Lens of Andrea Pozzo and the Jesuit Catholic Baroque Director of Thesis: Samuel Dodd Andrea Pozzo was a lay brother for the Order of the Society of Jesus in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries who utilized his work in painting, architecture, and writing to attempt to create an ideal expression of sacred art for the Counter- Reformation Catholic Church. The focus of this study is on Pozzo’s illusionary paintings in Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola in Rome as they coincide with his codification of quadratura and di sotto in su, as described through perspectival etchings and commentary in Perspectiva Pictorum et Architectorum. This thesis seeks to understand the work of Pozzo in context with his Jesuit background, examining his work under the lens of Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, as well as the cultural, political, and religious climates of Rome during the Counter-Reformation era. Additionally, it seeks to understand how Pozzo and the Order of the Society of Jesus contributed to Baroque Art, as they are so often discussed together. Pozzo’s intentions are additionally examined through a study of his predecessors and contemporaries, such as Andrea Mantegna, Baciccio, Francesco Borromini, and Pietro da Cortona. The works of these artists were either studied by Pozzo, or he encountered them directly. Seeking theatricality and striving to visualize the spiritual realm, Pozzo is finally discussed in the context of the decrees of the Council of 4 Trent from 1543, the theology of the Catholic liturgy, and the theology of Catholic Temple. 5 Dedication To Philokalia To Philosophia To Philothea Ad majorem Dei gloriam 6 Acknowledgments One of my favorite things to read in books and publications is the acknowledgements section. I read them smiling at the collaborative efforts of so many types of relationships that contribute to written works. And I have always pondered who would be included in my own. I feel so honored that I get to create such a list, a list of people without whom this thesis would not have been possible. The origins of this thesis can be traced back to my first year of graduate school at Ohio University. At the time, I was pursuing my Master of Fine Arts degree and trying to get my footing in the first year of intense studio work, teaching assistantships, and theory and history classes. I am indebted to the Athens Catholic Community, OU Catholics, and the Athens Catholic Young Adults for their support in my time in Athens, as well as communities that provided so many friends that let me bounce around ideas and theories with them. I am equally indebted to my committee members and many mentors from the School of Art + Design at Ohio University. Julie Dummermuth has always offered support and guidance through my five years at OU. Dr. Marilyn Bradshaw served as not only an amazing professor, but also a wealth of knowledge and expert on the Renaissance and Baroque. I have been incredibly lucky to have her serve on my committee until her retirement. I am also grateful to Drs. Jody Lamb and Jennie Klein for serving on my committee in the middle of summer and during a global pandemic. Quite literally, I would not have passed my defense without your presence. I am thankful for your thoughtful insights and openness to discussion. 7 In the summer of 2017, I met Giovanni Pagani and Laura Ridoni at the San Gemini Preservation Studies summer program. They have since supported my research endeavors through conversation, accommodations, and mentorship. Because of their friendships, I was able to study Pozzo at Pontificia Università Gregoriana in Rome. I am equally thankful to the brothers at the university who introduced me to their library and aided me in collecting as much scholarship and data on Pozzo as I could glean from their collection. The kindness of my entire Italian contingency will never be forgotten. My parents, Jim and Sylvia Thomason, taught me my entire life that I could do anything I put my mind to. I could achieve anything with the right attitude and work ethic. I am not sure either of them thought it would lead to two Master’s degrees. Along with my two sisters, Courtney and Sarah, they have supported me through absolutely everything. My entire family has travelled for exhibitions, waited to hear about the outcomes of defenses, and prayed for my successes. I am eternally grateful for the support and love that I receive from them—that which is the unconditional love of family. In my second year of graduate school, Dr. Samuel Dodd assigned two articles by Linda Henderson. Henderson discussed the Italian Futurists and the idea of fourth dimensional art. A major idea was that these artists were not describing time as a fourth dimension, as so often attributed, but that they were attempting to depict a fourth spatial dimension. As we humans exist in the third dimension, the Futurists could only attempt to express another dimension by that which they knew in their own. These articles served as a catalyst for my thesis. The parallels between Henderson’s writings and Christian 8 theology were uncanny to me. Throughout the Scriptures and theology, man often encounters or describes the spiritual realm by earthly means. Additionally, Catholicism specifically claims the meeting of earthly and spiritual realms at its liturgy. Dr. Dodd, for years, has indulged me in intense discussion and discourse on this topic. I do not think he knows the monster he created by assigning those articles to our class. I all but demanded that he be my thesis advisor for my art history degree. I was and continue to be so thankful to his agreement, as well as his support to me academically and professionally during my years at Ohio University. Back during that first year at OU, I began conversations with Fr. Jonas Shell about art, the Church, and theology. Whereas Dr. Dodd provided fuel for the art theory, Fr. Shell served as an impetus for art and theology. He challenged my ideas on objectivity and subjectivity in art, gave me spiritual readings on art by the saints, and introduced me to ideas of Temple theology and sacred beauty. It was these conversations with Fr. Shell that led me to pursue a Christian and spiritual art practice for my MFA. And these would be ideas that would be carried over to this thesis, where I could ground them in historical research and practices. As the Christian I am, I can only believe that it is the Holy Spirit that guided to such a place and to encounter such people. Emily Thomason MFA, Painting + Drawing MA, Art History July 27, 2020 9 Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 3 Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 6 List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 1: Andrea Pozzo: Humble Beginnings, Famous Endings ................................... 18 Chapter 2: Pozzo's Architectural Treatise ......................................................................... 26 Chapter 3: Pozzo's Masterpiece ........................................................................................ 30 Chapter 4: Pozzo and His Contemporaries ....................................................................... 38 Chapter 5: Pozzo and the Order of the Society of Jesus ................................................... 44 Chapter 6: Pozzo and the Eschatological Temple ............................................................. 52 Chapter 7: Pozzo, Reform, and Liturgy ............................................................................ 56 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 64 References ......................................................................................................................... 66 Appendix: Figures ............................................................................................................. 70 10 List of Figures Page Figure 1.1. Figure 61 in Andrea Pozzo’s Perspectiva Pictorum et Architectorum ......... 70 Figure 1.2. Figure 72 in Andrea Pozzo’s Perspectiva Pictorum et Architectorum ......... 71 Figure 1.3. San Francesco Saverio in Mondovi altar piece ............................................. 72 Figure 1.4. San Francesco Saverio in Mondovi altar piece, rear view
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