Sacred Art in an Age of Crisis

(Italy circa 1500)

Dr. Elena Calvillo

Art History Department Chair
University of Richmond

On Thursday, October 21, 2021 we were blessed to have Dr. Elena Calvillo of the University of Richmond give a presentation to the church and public on the topic of “Sacred Art in an Age of Crisis (Italy circa 1500).”

The parish hall was full, and attendees were intrigued and interested in observing how the political and theological upheavals in Italy circa 1500 were reflected in the art of the period. This presentation is part of a larger Speakers Series that Good Shepherd is offering. We are grateful for Dr. Calvillo for sharing her passion and insights!  -TM

Dr. Calvillo opened her lecture with the painting, Two Donors in Adoration before the Madonna and Child, and St. Michael Giovanni Battista Moroni, Italian, c1560, VMFA, which can be viewed in Richmond and is pictured above.

Plus — A Visit to VMFA: Connecting “Sacred Art in an Age of Crisis” and the 2021 Fine Arts and Flowers special Exhibit at the museum

Associate Professor of Art History, Dr. Calvillo earned her undergraduate degree in art history from the University of Michigan and her MA and PhD from Johns Hopkins University.

She is widely published on Renaissance and Baroque art and her research has been supported by Harvard’s Center for Italian Renaissance Studies and by the National Gallery, and others.

In November she will be returning to Rome for further study.