Study for Miracle of Saint Bernardino of Siena c. 1602

Ventura Salimbeni made this pen and brown ink drawing, entitled 'Study for Miracle of Saint Bernardino of Siena', in Italy around the turn of the 17th century. Salimbeni was a Counter-Reformation artist. The Council of Trent had recently reaffirmed the Catholic Church's belief in miracles and the power of saints to intercede with God. Here, Bernardino of Siena, a popular 15th-century Franciscan friar, performs a healing miracle. The drawing testifies to the Church’s cultural authority and the importance of religious orders like the Franciscans. Note how Salimbeni uses the language of realism, especially in his rendering of individual faces and gestures, to make the miracle seem believable. The composition guides the viewer’s eye toward the central miracle, reinforcing the Church's message. This drawing acts as a valuable resource for us as art historians. By studying drawings like these, along with the social and religious history of the period, we can gain a richer understanding of the Counter-Reformation and the role of art in shaping popular belief.