Kroning van Maria met Johannes de Doper en H. Florian 1622 - 1649

Charles Mellin made this engraving of the Coronation of the Virgin with Saints John the Baptist and Florian. The image presents a set of complex concepts surrounding the Virgin Mary's divine status, and the role of saints within the Catholic church. Mellin was French, but spent much of his career in Italy, this print would have been made in that context. Here, we see a hierarchical composition with the Holy Trinity crowning Mary in Heaven, while below stand Saint John the Baptist and Saint Florian. These saints were often invoked for protection, reflecting the religious beliefs of the time. The print also shows the ways the church used images to reinforce doctrine and inspire faith. To fully understand this print, we might research Mellin’s biography, the history of Catholic iconography, or the role of prints in spreading religious ideas. The meaning of this artwork is contingent on this kind of social, cultural, and institutional context.