De heilige Norbertus, opgebaard in Maagdenburg 1622

Cornelis Galle I created this engraving of ‘De heilige Norbertus, opgebaard in Maagdenburg’—Saint Norbert, Lying in State in Magdeburg—sometime before his death in 1650. The composition unfolds in layers of the earthly and the divine. Notice how the rigid lines of the architecture contrast with the ethereal clouds above. The scene presents the deceased Saint Norbert surrounded by mourners, his body displayed with emblems of his ecclesiastical power. Above, angels carry his soul towards a divine light. This division between the earthly and heavenly realms is structurally reinforced by the symmetrical arrangement of figures and objects around the horizontal body of the Saint. Through Galle’s engraving technique, we can see a discourse on the nature of death and sainthood. The rigid, controlled lines used to depict the earthly figures contrast with the more fluid, dynamic lines of the celestial beings, suggesting a transition from corporeal existence to spiritual transcendence. The artwork thus functions as a semiotic structure. It uses visual symbols to communicate complex theological concepts. It is an invitation to contemplate the boundaries between life and death, the sacred and the profane.