Ecclesia wijst op een engel die bisschopsattributen uitstort over een man met staf 1636 - 1696

This print by Nicolas de Poilly, presents the Church, or Ecclesia, pointing towards an angel bestowing symbols of episcopal authority upon a kneeling man. The keys and mitre descending from the heavens are not mere objects; they are potent symbols, carrying centuries of religious and political weight. Consider the keys, emblems of Saint Peter himself. They represent the power to bind and loose, a direct lineage to divine authority. This motif echoes throughout art history, from Byzantine mosaics to Renaissance frescoes, each instance subtly shifting in meaning, yet always tethered to the concept of spiritual dominion. The act of bestowing these items carries a psychological charge. It evokes the deep-seated human desire for legitimacy and divine favor. This image taps into our collective memory, reminding us of the eternal quest for higher power and spiritual sanction, a quest that resurfaces time and again, evolving with each new telling.