Room - Protestant artists and writers in the XVIIth century

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Home | Centuries | The 17th century - Protestant artists and writers in the XVII^th century

Protestant artists and writers in the XVII^th century

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In the XVII^th century, protestant artists contributed a great deal to the culture of their time. They were an important element in the founding of the royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, the mainstay of artistic activity in France at the time of the Ancien Régime. With the Revocation, a deep division arose between the artists who converted to catholicism and stayed in France (e.g. Samuel Bernard, Mathieu Lespagnandelle) and the others who decided to go into exile (like Henri Testelin or Louis Chéron). Another case is Pierre Bayle, whose works were published in the Low Countries, where he took refuge in 1681. Bayle was one of the major thinkers of his time - his tolerance made him a true precursor of the Age of Enlightenment.