The Ethics of Ornament in Early Modern Naples

The Carthusian monks at San Martino began a series of decorative campaigns in the 1580s, transforming their church into a jewel of marble revetment, painting, and sculpture. These aesthetic qualities generate a moral conflict: few religious orders honored the ideals of poverty so ardently yet decorated so sumptuously. In this, the first English-language study of a key monument in Naples, Napoli explores this conflict and how it sought resolution amidst the realities of early modern Naples, shedding new light on the Neapolitan baroque, industries of art in the age before capitalism, and the relation of art, architecture, and ornament.