Picturing Confessional Politics at the Stuart Court: Henrietta Maria and Catherine of Braganza†

The deep confessional tensions in Stuart Britain were embodied in its Catholic queens. Queens, in their portraits and in the artworks in their palaces and chapels, were positioned within this dialectic, with the competing expectations of their husbands, their families, their religious retinues, the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Griffey, Erin 1972- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2020]
In: Journal of religious history
Year: 2020, Volume: 44, Issue: 4, Pages: 465-493
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Henriette Maria, England, Königin 1609-1669 / Katharina, Portugal, Infantin 1638-1705 / Piety / Depiction / Great Britain / Catholicism / Anglicanism
IxTheo Classification:CG Christianity and Politics
KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history
KBF British Isles
KDB Roman Catholic Church
KDE Anglican Church
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:The deep confessional tensions in Stuart Britain were embodied in its Catholic queens. Queens, in their portraits and in the artworks in their palaces and chapels, were positioned within this dialectic, with the competing expectations of their husbands, their families, their religious retinues, the papacy, their own personal devotions, and the public against a changing political situation. This article examines how the visual arts provided a powerful tool for Henrietta Maria and Catherine of Braganza in this dynamic, both in claiming and facilitating piety and in advancing the Catholic cause. The themes of Catholic devotion and saintly embodiment are discussed through two important aspects of their engagement with the visual arts: palace display in which devotional works were hung prominently and portraits in which the queens embody saintly guises. Artworks from their chapels, too, will be considered; these spaces were dominated by Marian imagery, which suited both theological and dynastic interests. Although operating within different political contexts and personal agendas, they marshalled such imagery to promote the Catholic cause and perform their piety.
ISSN:1467-9809
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious history
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/1467-9809.12694