Event Details
- Start Date 20/05/2026
- Start Time 11:00
- End Date 20/05/2026
- End Time 13:00
- Location San Roque Club
Carravagio And The Counter Reformation
by Alice Foster
The Sack of Rome in 1527 brought a dramatic end to an age of humanist optimism, plunging Europe into a period of religious upheaval and artistic transformation. As Protestant reform gathered force and threatened Catholic authority, the Church responded with the Counter-Reformation—and art became its most powerful weapon. The Council of Trent declared that religious imagery should inspire devotion through clarity, realism, and emotional depth. Into this moment stepped Caravaggio: bold, radical, and brilliant.
His gritty, theatrical paintings—alive with shadow and light—made saints tangible and suffering visceral. With scenes of martyrdom depicted in raw, relatable human terms, Caravaggio’s work embodied the Church’s mission and changed the face of sacred art forever.
ABOUT THE LECTURER
Alice is a lively and experienced art historian who has been lecturing for Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education since 1998. She teaches regularly at the Ashmolean Museum and leads engaging weekly classes across Oxfordshire and Worcestershire. A popular speaker for The Arts Society since 2004, Alice has lectured across the UK and Europe, with upcoming tours to Australia and New Zealand in 2025. She also tutors on art holidays in Italy and specialises in Scottish art as a residential tutor on the Isle of Iona. Alice was elected President of Banbury Fine Arts Society in 2010.