Heiligverklaring van Franciscus van Sales c. 1665

This print depicts the canonization of Francis of Sales in the Vatican, and was made by an anonymous artist. We can see the interior of St. Peter's Basilica crowded with figures. It shows us a grand spectacle but also reflects the social and political power of the Catholic Church in the 17th and 18th centuries. Consider the visual codes: the grandeur of the architecture, the mass of people, the religious iconography, all contribute to the creation of meaning. It was a time when the church used art and ceremony to reinforce its authority. This image also gives us clues about the internal hierarchies within the church. As a historian, I find myself asking: what was the role of the Church in society? Was it a force for social justice, or a tool of oppression? To understand the print better, we might look at documents from the period, such as sermons, papal decrees, or personal letters, and consider the print as a product of social and institutional forces.