In general the Counter-Reformation was in answer to the Protestant Reformation and the many objections brought to light about the corruption within the Catholic church. It was a deliberate effort to bring Catholicism back into the forefront and address the criticism. It encompassed four major concerted efforts which sought to establish structural reconfiguration, religious orders, spiritual movements, and had major political dimensions for the church. These efforts sought to reform the foundational training offered to priests in seminaries and worked to return religious goals to spiritual foundations. New spiritual movements focused on a personal relationship with Christ through a life of devotional practice. One of the major political activities that arose from the Counter-Reformation was the Roman Inquisition during the second half of the 16th century where the central government of the Church, or Holy See, established asystem of tribunals that prosecuted individuals accused of such crimes as of heresy as: sorcery, immorality, blasphemy, Judaizing and witchcraft, even for censorship of printed literature. In general this inquisition, specifically the Inquisition of Malta, (1561 to 1798), is considered to have been gentler than the Spanish Inquisition.
Artwork came under fire during this time, especially since the Protestant movement was against extravagant displays used in conjunction with spirituality. During this time there was a sharp decline of decoratively embellished artwork, since artists were being asked to repaint or fix scenes that were thought to be inappropriate. Michelangelo's Last Judgment was painted over to obscure the nudity of the figures, and almost all nudity was prohibited without adequate scriptural foundation. Some believed that is was the end of medieval art, although it did not effect secular paintings.
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| Michelangelo, The Last Judgment, fresco in the Sistine Chapel (1534-41), was under constant attack during Counter-Reformation when the figures were painted over to cover their nudity for several centuries. |
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| Paolo Veronese, The Feast in the House of Levi (1573), led to an investigation by the Roman Catholic Inquisition. It started out as a depiction of the Last Supper, but he chose to change the scripture and title, selecting a less-central one, rather than changing the painting |
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