Catharina ontvangt de stigmata van Christus / Catharina verlost een bezetene van haar demonen / Paus Gregorius XI keert terug naar Italië 1597

This print by Pieter de Jode I, made around the late 16th or early 17th century, presents three scenes linked to religious experiences, all rendered in a precise, linear style. The composition is neatly divided, each segment featuring dramatic contrasts in light and shadow that guide the viewer's eye across the narrative. We see figures in states of ecstatic reception, violent affliction, and reverent return, each tableau carefully staged to maximize emotional impact through gesture and posture. De Jode’s use of line and form here isn't merely illustrative. Instead, they function as a semiotic system, where each stroke and shadow carries a coded message about faith, suffering, and divine intervention. The artwork destabilizes established meanings by presenting multiple, simultaneous narratives within a single frame, prompting a re-evaluation of how we perceive spiritual and historical events. Each scene operates within a larger cultural discourse about religious authority and personal piety.