De H. Bernardus van Clairvaux, met de passiewerktuigen 1576

Cornelis Cort created this engraving of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in the Netherlands sometime in the 16th century. The print illustrates Bernard kneeling, carrying the instruments of the Passion. This image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. It's not just a picture of a saint, but a window into the religious and social climate of the time. The visual elements – the cross, the ladder, the nails – speak to the intense religious devotion characteristic of the period. Northern Europe in the 16th century was a crucible of religious change, experiencing the Reformation. Prints like these were tools for disseminating particular religious viewpoints, especially in areas where the Catholic Church sought to reinforce its authority. Bernard was known for his devout faith, and that this image of him carrying the instruments of the Passion could have been used to inspire piety in the face of spreading Protestantism. To understand this print fully, we might consult religious texts, historical accounts of the Reformation, and studies of print culture in the Netherlands. Art is always contingent on the social and institutional contexts in which it is made.