Norton Simon Investigative Assignment: Catholic or Protestant?

Choose one of the artworks listed below from Norton Simon’s permanent collection. Your job is to investigate (research) the following aspects of the work and come to a conclusion about whether it is more typical of something made for Protestant patronage or Catholic patronage. You do not have to discover the actual patron, although some may be able to find that information (it isn’t even known for all the works). Investigate the following:

The region of Europe in which the work was made (look at the date and line up with biographical info) as well as the region that is the birthplace (or other significant residence) of the artist (look for elements of the artist’s biography that could be relevant).
Then identify the principal religion of those regions/cities.
The subject matter.
The iconography of the work and overall message.
The style of the work.
Based on the date of the artwork, and the above information, draw a connection between the work and either the Protestant Reformation (1517) or the Catholic Counter Reformation (1545-63), and their impacts on the art world.

How does the artwork represent the ideology or values behind either of these religious movements?
Describe the way in which the style, subject matter, and iconography support this particular religious ideology.
Organize your findings into a PowerPoint presentation. Be sure to include the artwork’s title, date, artist, and a high quality image of the work. Include as many slides as you think is necessary to lay out your evidence according to the above list.