The
Discourse on Sacred and Profane Images (also simply called the
Discorso) written by
Gabriele Paleotti, the 16th-century
Archbishop of Bologna is also known as the "Catechism of Images" for it established key concepts for the use of images as a form of religious instruction and indoctrination, following the
Council of Trent in which he was a participant. Paleotti's approach was much more artistic than the approach proposed by his contemporary and Trent participant
Charles Borromeo in his "Instructions on Ecclesiastical Buildings" but Borromeo (who had considerable power) approved of Paleotti's methods and implemented them. While Borromeo's "Instructions" did include a chapter called "On Sacred Images and Pictures", his focus was mostly on architectural and design elements, rather than art. However, Paleotti's focus was "the transformation of Christian life through vision". The use of
muta predicatio continued well into the
Baroque period where paintings came to be seen as imagistic writing and a form of visual language for instruction. Visual art thus came to act as the "literature of the layman" via the concept of
pictura-litteratura illiterata, i.e. pictures are the literature of the illiterate. Art historian Pamela J. Huckins has argued that the Franciscan missions of
Alta California into the 19th century also employed
muta predicatio to use art to transcend the barriers of language and literacy. She suggests that specific images were employed in this period to instruct indigenous mission congregations about Christianity, as well as European culture, and to help the audience recall and relate to what was said during specific sermons. == See also ==