Jesuit procurators and the Global Circulation of Visual and Material Culture, 16th-18th centuries

 International Conference 

School of History and Archeology of Spain EEHAR-CSIC) in Rome

The ProJesArt Research Group, Agents: Jesuit Procurators and Alternative Channels for Artistic Circulation in the Hispanic World (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) and the School of Archeology and History (CSIC-Spain) invite proposals for an international conference that analyze the figure of the Jesuit procurator as a mediator in the circulation of knowledge, art, images and objects in the Early Modern Period.

The role of the Jesuits as effective and leading actors in the global history of the Modern Age (16th-18th centuries) has been analyzed from multiple points of view. The rich historiography has built a sense of their impact by studying their saints and founding figures, Generals, theologians, royal confessors, visitors, hagiographers and, in recent decades, also their scientists, engineers and artists. Although almost all the offices that existed in the Society of Jesus have been subject to study, less research has been undertaken on the role of the Jesuit provincial procurators, appointed by each province every three years to travel to Rome. There, the procurators dealt with different matters and attended the Congregations of the Society of Jesus when they coincided with them.

This international conference aims to focus on the study of Jesuit provincial procurators sent to Rome through an interdisciplinary and geographically broad perspective. The main objective is to analyze how their travels and experiences contributed to the global circulation of a rich and varied visual and material culture. The aim is to go beyond the classical construction of nationalistic Jesuit historiographies, as well as art histories of the same nature, to highlight the potential of the circulation of both people and objects to generate new narratives. An illuminating example of the potential impact of this approach concerns the Iberian world: the available Jesuit documentation demonstrates how the Spanish-American viceroyalties connected directly with places outside Iberian Spain, such as Venice, Rome, Naples, Nice, Paris, and Augsburg. Thus, contact routes were consolidated that were outside the official mercantile channels of the monarchy circumscribed to the Iberian possessions. The decision to bring together scholars working on Jesuit procurators from different territories -from Goa and the Philippines to Eastern Europe- in the framework of this scientific meeting will allow for novel comparisons.

Papers selected (through a Call for Papers) will explore a variety of topics including: international relations and exchanges between different territories with a Jesuit presence; the scope, quality and quantity of acquisitions during the journey, both of a religious and secular nature, as well as books and other types of writing; the impact of such purchases on the local geographies to which they returned; and, conversely, the type of objects procurators introduced in the European context, and specifically in the Italian one, often as gifts; the financial and logistical organization of the procurators; and the various issues that shaped their travels. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

-Submit title and abstract (max. 1 page) and brief CV (max. 3 pages) to: congresoromaprojesart@gmail.com by May 15, 2024 (notification of selected papers by June1, 2024)

Papers are accepted in Spanish, Italian, and English

ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

• As part of the program, there will be an onsite study visit to a local church or collection of interest to the themes of the conference.
• Please note that the research project is also organizing a workshop in Rome about religious orders and travelling objects on 4-5 February 2025. For that program, visit: www.projesart.org.
• For further information or queries about this CFP, contact: congresoromaprojesart@gmail.com

CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS

• Prof. Luisa Elena Alcalá (UAM)
• Prof. Macarena Moralejo Ortega (UCM)
• Prof. Rafael Japón (UAM)

COORDINATORS

• Jorge Oliaga Vázquez y Elizabeth Vite Hernández.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

• Prof. Alexandre Coello de la Rosa (UPF)
• Prof. Patricia Díaz Cayeros (UNAM)
• Prof. Carmen Fernández-Salvador (USFQ)
• Prof. Corinna Gramatke (Independent Scholar)
• Prof. Josefina Schenke (UAI)
• Prof. Vanina Scocchera (UBA)
• Prof. Verónica Zaragoza (INAH)