Counter-Reformation

The article examines the conditions of the coming to power of the English Queen Mary Tudor and the peculiarities of her reign, including from the point of view of gender aspects. It is shown that, while condemning Mary I Tudor for her adherence to Catholicism, many historians do not mention the positive aspects of her short reign of England. Mary Tudor came to power at a difficult time for the Kingdom. Having no experience of governing the country, Maria brought the statesmen who had recently opposed her closer to her.

Being founded upon the book «Instructions on religious and secular images» (1582), the article examines cardinal Gabriele Paleotti’s views on sacred art. The author explores the issue of perception of painting as a God-pleasing art, exposes the ideological aspect of sacred painting and reveals the cardinal’s complex evidence base on the need for the existence of religious images in churches and their significance in the life of every person.