PROPAGANDA DEVOCIONAL Y FUENTES PARA LA HISTORIA DEL ARTE. A PROPÓSITO DE UNA ESTAMPA DE LUCAS VALDÉS Y DOS ESCRITOS RETÓRICOS

Abstract

Engravings are a very important source for the history of art, not only because they enable us to reconstruct spaces currently transformed, but also because they are an expression of the ideas and cultural contents of the past. lf we add some textual sources to images, such as preachings and devotional literature, it is posible to offer a view of the meaning and valuation of works of arts. In this paper we analyse the particular case of an engraving by Lucas Valdes, dating from 1712, which represents the altar of the Immaculate of San Hermenegildo Church's in Seville, and a biographical character writting, both of which document the artistic patronage and devotional intentions of Jesuit Baltasar del Alcazar.