종교개혁기의 삽화

Abstract

In the early 16 th century when the Reformation started to take shape, over 90% of the population did not read or write in Latin; but they were regular churchgoers of at least once a week. Talk and sermons made them well aware of the tension between the German people and the Catholic Church over indulgences, and the unfolding of related events was being watched with curiosity. Printing that had been invented 70 years prior to the Reformation had continued developing, and was by now quite accessible. News on how the Reformation was developing spread quickly through the printing press. The main medium of the information relay was books. Christianity was a 'religion of books' in that it had the Bible. The public intrigue relating to the Bible was also addressed through books. As demand for books grew during the Reformation, so did the illustrations in the books. Not only did books with illustrations increase, so did the diversity of the messages that these drawings sought to convey. Prior to the Reformation, the illustrations were used to explain, symbolize, and decorate the text. It was through the Reformation that the power of art to engage in discourse, deconstruct, and aspire to be free emerged, and for the first time in history, society conflicted with art over Iconoclasm. Pamphlets were the new booklets that delivered information, and became the cornerstone of newspapers that developed later in the 17 th century. As more pamphlets and booklets were being created with better technology and as religious arguments and incidents constantly provided feedback; book illustrations met its height - confirming that it was the medium to promote the Reformation, criticize the Catholic Church, and also make refutes by those against the tide of change. As such, history is ample with examples that reveal a medium is often associated with social transformations that bring down traditions.