St. Dorothy (Schr. 2610) 15th century

This small woodcut of St. Dorothy was made by an anonymous artist, sometime in the late 15th century. It depicts the saint as a young woman in a garden, accompanied by a child who carries a basket of flowers. Images of saints like Dorothy were widely popular in the late medieval period, and served many purposes. They were collected by lay people as emblems of piety and framed as an aid to private worship. Printed images like this one were cheaper to produce than illuminated manuscripts, which meant that people of more modest means could own them. They give us a glimpse into the democratisation of religious imagery in Europe. We can learn more about the cultural context of this print through a variety of sources. The legend of St. Dorothy and the cult that surrounded her. By studying religious history, we can better understand the social and religious functions this image may have served in its day.