Vision of Saint Charles Borromeo, Agostino Santagostino

Label 2009:
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) was born into an aristocratic family outside Milan. Borromeo’s uncle, Pope Pius IV, appointed him cardinal at the age of 22 and he became archbishop of Milan at 28. He played a large role in promoting the edicts of the 1546 Council of Trent, an assembly organized by the Catholic Church to counter the effects of the Protestant Reformation. In the era following the Council, known as the Counter-Reformation, these edicts defined and clarified the beliefs and goals of the Church and its art and architecture.
These two paintings are probably sketches for a much larger altarpiece for the church of San Fedele in Milan. The events depicted are not biographical; instead, they refer to specific religious reforms promoted by Borromeo. In the Vision of St. Charles Borromeo, the cardinal (who was canonized in 1610) kneels in contemplation before a large religious text, which refers to his reforms of sacred texts and music. St. Charles Borromeo in Ecstasy symbolizes the renewed emphasis that the Counter-Reformation placed upon physically and emotionally experiencing the Christian faith.

Archive Label 2003:
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation. He served as Pope Pius IV’s assistant during the third period of the Council of Trent (1562-63), an assembly organized by the Roman Catholic Church to address issues of the Protestant Reformation. In response to the Reformation, the Catholic Church instituted a number of reforms, and Borromeo participated in numerous projects that completed this aspect of the Council. In 1563, Borromeo was ordained a priest and was consecrated archbishop of Milan. Besides his work in the era following the Council, Borromeo was known for his great concern for social problems. The Roman Catholic Church canonized him a saint in 1610, and a cult of St. Charles Borromeo spread rapidly throughout Italy, Germany, and the Spanish Netherlands.

Archive Label 1999:
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-84), was an Italian noble born into an aristocratic Lombard family outside Milan. Charles's uncle, Pope Pius IV, appointed him cardinal at the age of 22 and he became archbishop of Milan at 28. He played a large role in promulgating the edicts of the 1546 Council of Trent, an assembly organized by the Catholic Church to counter the effects of the Protestant Reformation. In the era following the Council, known as the Counter-Reformation, these edicts defined and clarified the beliefs and goals of the Church.

These two paintings are probably sketches for an altarpiece at the church of San Fedele in Milan. The events depicted are not biographical, but rather subjects that apply to religious reforms promoted by Charles. In the Vision of St. Charles Borromeo, the cardinal kneels in contemplation before a large religious text. The painting refers to his reforms of sacred texts and music. St. Charles in Ecstasy Before the Eucharist symbolizes the new spiritual emphasis that Council of Trent scholars and clergy placed upon the sacrament.