Construction for Rome’s main Jesuit church, Chiesa del Gesu, began in 1568. The building process took a total of twelve years before it was completed in 1580. The ceiling, designed by Giovanni Battista Guili (1639-1703), was added after the church’s completion, but it is by far its most interesting feature. This fresco, Baroque in style, embodies the ideas of the Jesuits. This fresco, entitled “Triumph of the Name of Jesus”, displays the monogram of Christ in the center with a blinding light flowing from it. The monogram consists of the first three Greek letters of the name of Jesus, IHS. Within the fresco, saints and angels surround the monogram of Christ. The heretics that physically pour out of the fresco contrast the heavenly figures as they are hurled back to Earth. These heretics, the Jesuits believe, are Protestants. The Protestant figures were added to the ceiling as stucco, a wet material that hardens upon drying, thus creating a three dimensional effect. The effects of stucco are remarkable as the figures seem to nearly jump out at the viewer.
These stucco figures, resting on the dark clouds, are the emphasis of the ceiling because without them, the vivid contrast of light and darkness would not be displayed. Christ and his followers, the Jesuits, are displayed in a gleaming light, while the heretical Protestants being cast out of Heaven are shown in dark contrasting colors. This is meant to represent the idea that the Jesuits’ doctrine is pure and holy, while the new ideas of Protestants are corrupt. This fresco is a direct reflection of the Catholics' answer to the Protestant Reformation, through the Counter-Reformation.
Whether one is Catholic or Protestant, they will find this church quite aesthetically pleasing as the oval baroque fresco is surrounded by intricate gold ceiling details. Like most ceilings that we’ve found throughout Europe, Chiesa del Gesù contains an immense amount of detail. Something that was very appreciated by this group of students- who now have neck problems from their research of ceilings in Europe- was a mirror that the church provided on the ground level as a way to view the details of the ceiling.
Sources:
Notes on Dr. Cole's lecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Gesù
http://www.italianways.com/the-vault-ceiling-in-the-church-of-the-gesu-in-rome/
Sources:
Notes on Dr. Cole's lecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Gesù
http://www.italianways.com/the-vault-ceiling-in-the-church-of-the-gesu-in-rome/