Single-Sheet Engravings Depicting the Tortures of Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Early Modern Europe
Abstract
This article examines single-sheet engravings depicting the life and tortures of Saint Gregory the Illuminator printed in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Focusing on seven examples, it traces the formation and dissemination of a stable iconographic model through European workshops, Catholic missionary networks, patrons, and multilingual inscriptions. It also shows how later Armenian editions selectively adapted this model to emphasize the Christianization of Armenia, illuminating cross-cultural exchange between European print culture and Armenian Christian traditions.
Presentato: 29 Maggio 2026 | Accettato: 17 Agosto 2026 | Pubblicato Prossimamente | Lingua: en
Keywords Armenian diaspora • Armenian–European artistic exchange • Catholic missions • Devotional prints • Saint Gregory the Illuminator • Hagiographical iconography․ Cross-cultural visual • Confessional imagery • Early modern Europe • European print culture
Copyright © 2026 Styopa Petoyan, Shoghakat Devrikyan. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.