Imágenes para un milagro: Los grabados de los Santos Mártires de Arjona

Abstract

Throughout the Modern Age, the diffusion of artistic designs and iconographic models between Europe and America occurred thanks to the transfer of illustrated books, engravings and prints, generally of Flemish and Italian origin and, to a lesser extent, from Spanish printers. During the 16^th.-18^th. centuries, an important engraving industry developed in Andalusia (generally linked to large cities such as Seville, Cordoba or Granada), resulting in a large number of prints of various kinds: devotional and religious images, emblems, frontispieces, scientific publications, portraits, ephemeral art, etc.

In this text we intend to provide knowledge about engraving in the Kingdom of Jaén, with a much better production compared to the rest of Andalusia, analyzing some of the images created to disseminate some popular devotions arising under the protection of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Specifically, we will focus on studying the drawings and prints that would help shape the iconography of the Holy Martyrs of Arjona, whose relics were discovered in 1628 during the episcopate of Cardinal Moscoso Sandoval, and who played an important role in the complex process to demonstrate their veracity before the Congregation of Rites of Rome.