Counter-reformation can also come through art

Greetings, 

Free-thinking, free-conscienced, beautiful people.

Continuing to look through the mirror of art…

What appears to us today through the mirror of art,

Art that obscures enlightenment,

Do not say, "Can there ever be art that obscures enlightenment?"

It changes depending on whose hands it is in.

Even if they cannot fully obscure it, they want to make it obscured,

The Renaissance's approach, which placed human reason at the center,

showed its most powerful result as the Reformation in religion.

The Catholic Church's forgiveness of the sins of sinful Catholic Christians in exchange for money and opening up plots of land in Heaven for development,

Of course, had created a sweet rent.

But

When the year 1571 arrived, with Martin Luther, who was himself a priest, nailing his 95-thesis manifesto to the door of the Wittenberg Church, the risk of this sweet rent being cut off had emerged.

Oh, the rent, my dear rent, 

It seems to have reminded you of something,

Just like the chorus of Ajda's Eurovision song 

Like "Oh, oil, my dear oil," that is,

Protestantism, which argued that every believer is a priest and that there is no need for a clergy or any intermediary to reach God,

Had also laid the foundation for capitalist morality by glorifying work and a simple worldly lifestyle culture.

So, what kind of understanding of art did the Protestant perspective defend?

Of course, it defended a minimal and simple understanding of art, which was the opposite of the ostentatious and flashy art understanding of the Catholic faith.

In that era, the spaces where the art of architecture, painting, and sculpture met and could manifest themselves were cathedrals and churches. In this age, when there were no mass communication tools, religious structures were the places where people gathered and were steered and interacted with in line with the needs of the church. 

Protestants argued that there was no need for massive cathedrals and that the ostentatious decoration of the interiors of these massive structures was both waste (waste...) and prevented one from drawing closer to the spiritual presence of God. 

The reform movement that Protestantism had started against the Catholic Church had put the Papacy in a very difficult position.

Starting from the mid-16th century, the Papacy had launched a reform movement against Protestantism through art to correct its tarnished image and strengthen the faith of believers.

For this, an understanding was developed where light was the determining factor, laying the groundwork for the birth of Baroque Art. As structures were designed architecturally, they began to be designed in a way that light could create dramatic effects and form strong contrasts of light and shadow. The frescoes made on the interior walls and ceilings of churches also had quite theatrical and dramatic effects. Churches had taken on a very mystical atmosphere thanks to an understanding of art that allowed Catholic Christians to strip away the worldly and transition to the spiritual world. Baroque Art had opened the doors to refreshing faith wide open.

While Renaissance Art shook the dogmas of the church under the guidance of reason and science, Baroque Art was re-strengthening these dogmas emotionally by aestheticizing them within light-shadow games.

If art is in the service of reason, it illuminates; if it is in the service of dogma, it leaves in the shadows.

Enlightenment comes with reform and can leave with counter-reformation.

Oh, let us learn a lesson from history and protect our enlightenment, let us not lose it to the shadows,

Let us draw our moral from the story,

Let us not be condemned to darkness like nations left without art by sacrificing the enlightenment of our Republic to the shadows of dogmas.

Until our next meeting, goodbye for now, right now and always, breathe with art, stay with art.