Altarpieces and Their Viewers in the Churches of Rome from Caravaggio to Guido Reni

A social history of reception, this study focuses on art and Catholicism in early modern Rome. The five public altarpieces examined here-by Caravaggio, Guercino, Guido Reni, Tommaso Laureti, and Andrea Commodi-are seen anew through the eyes of female and male viewers from all walks of life. In treating officially sanctioned and unorthodox responses, Jones illuminates problems churchmen faced when trying to channel the power of images to reform Catholic society.