Čutne reprezentacije kuge

The article examines the sensory experiences associated with death during the plague and contextualises them within a specific historical and geographical framework. The author focuses on the plague altar from the mid-eighteenth century in the Haloze Church of St Andrew in Makole, Slovenia. In particular, she analyses the lower part of the altarpiece, which is attributed to an unknown artist. The plague altar not only conveys religious messages, but also reflects the knowledge and belief in the miasma theory of the time in question, in particular the understanding of the smell of the plague, the regulations on the plague and the organisation of civil protection. These themes vividly illustrate the depictions of the plague on the altar and offer insights into society’s reactions to illness and death in this period.