The idol has traditionally been regarded as the anti-image, the thing in opposition to which 'good' art was defined. This volume shows how both its embrace and its consequences expanded in unprecedented ways in the years after 1500. '... both convincing and well illustrated ... this book deserves to be commended as a highly creative stimulus to our thinking on the period.' Art and Christianity 'The volume provides a wide range of fascinating case studies from a multitude of cultural contexts, a rich diversity of visual records and numerous reproductions.' Print Quarterly 'On the whole, this is a well-edited, useful, and stimulating collection of papers that explore the range of meaning of the idol between the poles of art and religious cult in the modern era.' Catholic Historical Review