Module 3: Robotics + Art

 At a time when religion dominated so much of society, the invention of the printing press was extremely influential. The ability to produce copies of religious texts, including the Bible and Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, on a mass scale aided the dissemination of what were considered at the time to be radical ideas (Jaiprakash). 

(The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)

(Taylor)

Walter Benjamin wrote of how the mass production of art challenged traditional beliefs, and turned art from ritualistic to political (Benjamin). Both of these phenomenons are seen with the rise of Protestantism, which clashed with the beliefs of the governing Catholic Church. As Protestantism became more popular, society began to reject Catholic rule, altering how people worshipped and conducted their day to day lives. 

This shift also affected the artwork produced during the era. “Wealthy merchants and civic leaders replaced the Church as main art buyers,” (Bahr). With art being commissioned by non religious entities, art became increasingly secular, leading to eras such as the Reformation and later the Renaissance.

Another reason for Protestantism’s shift away from religious artwork was the style of worship. “many Protestants refused to allow the presence of paintings or sculptures in churches,” (Renauld). With a decreased demand from the Roman Catholic Church and no increased demand from the rise of Protestantism, artists were able to direct their efforts towards depictions of nonreligious people and events, such as the artwork below that shows the Sac of Lyon, a historical event.

(Renauld)


Works Cited

Bahr, Becky. “The Impact of the Protestant Reformation on Art.” Fiveable, 2024, https://library.fiveable.me/renaissance-art/unit-15/impact-protestant-reformation-art/study-guide/QlqjdEXhsQTv4hWU.

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1936.

Jaiprakash, T. “The Role of the Printing Press in the Protestant Reformation.” Octopus, 30 Nov. 2024, https://www.octopus.ac/publications/hjan-sr71.

Renauld, Marie-Madeleine. “The Art and Artists of the Protestant Reformation.” TheCollector, 24 Dec. 2021, https://www.thecollector.com/art-artists-protestant-reformation-hans-holbein/.

Taylor, Justin. “Luther’s 95 Theses: An Interview with Carl Trueman.” The Gospel Coalition, 25 Oct. 2010, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/95-theses/.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Printing Press.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 July 2005, https://www.britannica.com/technology/printing-press.

Comments

  1. Yuying RuanApril 20, 2025 at 12:25 AM

    Hi Evy, thank you so much for sharing and your blog did a great job that express how the printing press and mass-produced art helped the society shift away from Catholic dominance during the Protestant Reformation. I especially like the way you relate Walter's ideas to changes in art and worship in the real world. As wealthy businessmen replaced the church as patrons of the arts, art became more secularized. Ideas like this make me wonder how different art would look today if religion was still the main influence on art.

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