MORELLI, Domenico
(b. 1823, Napoli, d. 1901, Napoli)

The Iconoclasts

1855
Oil on canvas, 257 x 212 cm
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples

Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture's own religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes. People who engage in or support iconoclasm are called "iconoclasts", a term that has come to be applied figuratively to any individual who challenges established dogma or conventions.