Baroque Goldsmith's Work: The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory

The gold and silver gifts presented to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem by the Catholic courts of Europe are remarkable survivals. Carefully preserved by the Franciscan order, they escaped the destructive fate of many treasuries on the Continent. These works exemplify the sophisticated productions of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century workshops in Naples, Lisbon, Paris, and Madrid, among others. Precious metals, in abundant supply after European conquests in South America, had special meaning in an ecclesiastical setting. Ellenor Alcorn will explore the broader context for their creation and use, addressing the role of silver and gold as diplomatic gifts and the commission and execution of such ambitious works.