The Reception of Catholic Relics in Early Nineteenth-Century Britain the Case of the Prints of Francis Douce (1757-1834)

Abstract

In the early nineteenth century, the antiquarian collector Francis Douce (1757-1834) acquired a significant number of prints depicting catholic relics, mainly through acquaintances travelling in Italy. This article considers the plurality of meanings of these images in the context of Douce’s collections, formed in order to study the customs and beliefs of different periods and cultures. Moreover, it will discuss the reasons why Douce and his circle found these objects interesting, at a time when public opinion was divider over the ‘Catholic question’ and when the rise of the figure of the professional historian led to questioning the methods and concerns of traditional antiquarianism.