Drie episoden uit het leven van de heilige Bernardinus van Siena

Bernardino Capitelli made this print, "Three Episodes from the Life of Saint Bernardinus of Siena", in the early 17th century using etching. The image shows the posthumous miracles of the 15th century Franciscan Saint Bernardinus, framed within an imposing ecclesiastical interior. Prints like this were crucial in shaping popular devotion in the Baroque era. Consider the historical context: the Catholic Church, still reeling from the Protestant Reformation, sought to reinvigorate faith through the cult of the saints. This image provided visual evidence of Bernardinus's divine power. Capitelli worked in Rome and Florence, major centers of Counter-Reformation art. The print's theatrical composition, with its dramatic lighting and emotional figures, reflects the period's emphasis on engaging viewers and inspiring religious fervor. To fully understand this artwork, we might consult contemporary biographies of Saint Bernardinus, examine other devotional prints of the period, and investigate the patronage networks that supported artists like Capitelli. This helps us to appreciate the print not just as an aesthetic object, but as a product of specific cultural and institutional forces.