Journal of Jesuit Studies最新文献

The introductory essay examines the principles of Jesuit emblematic usage, as codified by Antonio Possevino, S.J. (1533–1611) in his educational treatise Bibliotheca selecta de ratione studiorum of 1603 and developed by two of the Society’s key emblematists: Jan David, S.J. (1545–1613) in his Duodecim specula of 1610 and Herman Hugo, S.J. (1588–1629) in his Pia desideria of 1624. The essay concludes by summarizing the five articles contained in this issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies and then, on that basis, offering a brief account of the state of the question in the study of Jesuit emblematics.

This paper shows how Ménestrier’s theorizing on emblems developed from his practice as devisor of decorative schemes and festivals, as indeed did that of fellow Jesuits. It explains his concern for developing a theoretical framework (whereas fellow Jesuits usually published collections of emblems with little theory) in terms of the influence exerted by his Jesuit training in Aristotelian philosophy and Thomist theology and the example set by the (ex-)Jesuit theorist Emanuele Tesauro. It puts Ménestrier’s theory and practice of emblems within the context of his more general concern for “erudite,” or symbolic, images and how he conceived such images, in general, operate on humans. In conclusion, I suggest how this understanding of such images’ potential within the context of Catholic renewal affects how Ménestrier understands the purpose and creation of emblems. This article is part of the special issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies on Jesuit emblems and emblematic edited by Walter S. Melion.

This article sheds new light on a series of Jesuit emblems, from both spiritual and cosmological perspectives, in which stars and starlit night skies figure prominently. The starting point is Ignatius of Loyola’s preferred devotional exercise, as Pedro Ribadeneyra recounts: the contemplation of stars. Given Ignatius’s importance in this exercise, they are recurring motifs in Jesuit emblematics. Considering this exercise in the context of the classical definition of human beings as contemplators of heaven, I will provide an interpretive framework based on anthropology, epistemology, and ethics. I argue that stellar imagery draws on three closely intertwined key elements: firstly, the idea that God reveals himself through nature. Secondly, that knowledge of God is mediated by sight but achieved by reason, and finally, that the divine nature of stars and heavenly bodies made them worthy models to ponder and imitate. Stars mediate access to the knowledge of God and, as a poetic metaphor for deification, provide a model for cultivating one’s soul and conforming it to the divine. This article is part of the special issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies on Jesuit emblems and emblematic edited by Walter S. Melion.

Jan David, S.J.’s Duodecim specula (Antwerp: Jan Moretus, 1610), an innovative emblematic treatise in twelve chapters, focuses on various kinds and degrees of specular image generated by the human soul. Each chapter responds to an opening imago, designed and engraved by Theodoor Galle, that illustrates the operations of the mirror in question. Three of the imagines, v. The Mirror of Others’ Eyes, viii. The Mirror of Created Things, and x. The Mirror of Example, rather than displaying persons, actions, or things that fall under the purview of the respective mirror, instead depict the mirrored image that such a speculum is seen to reflect. Accordingly, as printed imagines that prove upon closer inspection to contain specular imagines or, better, that function as pictorial representations of particular kinds of image, these imagines imaginum (images of images) can be said to produce a trompe-l’oeil effect. They ask the reader-viewer to consider why s/he thinks s/he sees a present image when what is actually seen by the eye is a pictured image, a pictured picture, doubly mediated by the process of representation. My essay examines how and why this deceptive effect was marshaled by David as a figure of thought: by articulating the manner and meaning of these three specula in particular, he offers the reader-viewer a therapeutic antidote wherewith to combat the human propensity for idolatry and self-deception.

This article contextualizes the emblematic decoration of the main staircase at the Jesuit College in Győr, northwestern Hungary. Painted in 1697, this fresco cycle visualizes the prayer of Salve Regina. The staircase emblems were designed as a visual aid to the Jesuits who wished to meditate on the significance of the Virgin Mary. Earlier scholarship has connected the decorative scheme to Jesuit emblem literature in general. In this article, I argue that the visual source of the program can be identified as the Salve Regina print series by Anton Wierix (1598). The emblems and their program, key examples of applied emblematics, demonstrate how and to what degree Jesuit meditative praxis underlay the decoration of Győr college. Focusing on the practical function of the decorative program also expands our knowledge of early modern practices of emblematic meditation in religious communities. This article is part of the special issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies on Jesuit emblems and emblematic edited by Walter S. Melion.