L' artista en el conflicte: mercenaris i compromesos en l'art crític de l'època moderna

Abstract

The artist in conflict: Mercenaries and engagés in the critical art during the Eraly Modern period

The bibliography on Early Modern art with a critical function is not abundant. Still, critical works before the 18 century and its social legitimation are far more numerous than one can expect. It is difficult to know the role of those artists who created them from the 16 to the mid 18 century, a key issue in the study of the conditions of their production. difussion and reception. It is interesting to know the identity of the authors, given that many surviving critical works are anonymous, and we need to know also the attitude of those artists towards the criticism contained in their works, that is to say: what role the artist played in them. Although most of the works of art of the Early Modern times were commissioned, one should analyse, as far as possible, the artist's attitude regarding the contemporary political, social and religious conflicts. The margins within which the artist could act in the context of those conflicts and his attitude towards the criticism expressed by his work are the subject matter of this paper, wherein only a few, meaningful examples are show which help to throw ght upon the topic.