Vortrag // Jasmin Mersmann, Berlin: „Stimolato dal diavolo“. Der Teufel als Ikonoklast und als Zeuge der Wirkmacht von Bildern

In 1501, a hapless gambler throws horse dung at a Florentine fresco of the Annunciation. He was sentenced to death, but the soiled fresco was soon considered miraculous. A multi-part panel depicts the devil as the instigator of the crime, but also gives reason to hope for mercy. Based on this and other case histories, the lecture examines the paradoxical function of the devil as a witness to the power of images of grace and as a promoter of their veneration. He became this not only through iconoclastic acts, but also through the reaction of possessed persons: images of the Virgin Mary in particular often played a role in exorcisms and in the restitution of devilish acts.

Jasmin Mersmann is Professor of Early Modern Art History at the Free University of Berlin.

Participation is free of charge.
Venue: Central Institute for Art History, Katharina-von-Bora-Str. 10, Munich, lecture hall 242, second floor
The lecture will be broadcast in parallel via Zoom. Information on participation can be found here.