The Dialectics of Martyrology and True Religion in the Late Sixteenth Century

Summary: Focusing on the tension between the papacy and the English crown in relation to the worldwide expansion of Catholicism at the end of the sixteenth century, this paper explores the formulation and popularization of conflicting ideas about martyrology and true religion via images.

About: Dr. Silvia Tita is the new Bennett-Valles Assistant Professor of Art History & Visual Culture in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design. Dr. Tita is a scholar of early modern art, with a special interest in political art and transitional interactions. She is also invested in digital humanities. After receiving her PhD from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, she has held different positions. More recently, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. She taught at the Catholic University of America and Kalamazoo College. Her research has been supported by fellowships and institutions both in Europe and in North America (Newberry Library, Andrew Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship).