The Mass of Saint Gregory [recto] c. 1490

This anonymous woodcut shows the Mass of Saint Gregory. It vividly conveys the spiritual and political climate of its time, likely the late medieval period in Northern Europe. The image presents Pope Gregory the Great celebrating mass when Christ appears to him as the Man of Sorrows. This vision reinforces the doctrine of transubstantiation, a key point of Catholic theology. The woodcut medium itself is significant; its accessibility allowed for broader dissemination of religious ideas, influencing popular belief. The image also speaks to the institutional power of the Church. The Pope, adorned in elaborate vestments, kneels at the altar in a reverent manner. The cultural context is crucial. The rise of printing coincided with religious and social upheavals. Woodcuts like these served to reinforce Church authority amid challenges to its power. Historians use such images alongside theological texts, and social histories to understand better the complex interplay between belief, representation, and institutional power in the late medieval world.