ABSTRACT
Opening with revolutionary de-Christianization and anti-ecclesiastical vandalism, this chapter takes measure of the cultural impact of this traumatic legacy during the first half of the nineteenth century. Having examined paintings that feature “spectator Christianity”—that is, they convey arm’s-length fascination with the piety of others, rather than function as inducements to prayer—the chapter examines attempts to reclaim a lost past of Christian faith by means of stylistic archaism. The chapter concludes with Lamennais, whose turbulent career is informed by an uneasy spiritual and political heritage.
