Episode 10: Saint Bernardino enters the Franciscan Order; Episode 11: Saint Bernardino flagellates a libidinous woman; Episode 12: Saint Bernardino travels by foot to Palestine, from "The Life of Saint Bernardino of Siena"

Curator: Here we have a 17th-century etching by Bernardino Capitelli, titled "Episodes from 'The Life of Saint Bernardino of Siena'." It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My initial impression is how dreamlike the figures feel in this lightly-etched piece; a kind of devotional fever-dream with architectural echoes and flat light. Curator: I find that so perceptive. Baroque prints, especially those depicting religious figures, were often didactic, meant to teach and inspire piety, but the episodes selected do speak to a range of states of the soul. Note the flagellation scene there… it underscores the tension between saintly virtue and earthly temptation that courses through the whole composition. Editor: Exactly. The etching, as a relatively accessible medium at the time, makes me wonder about the intended audience and its production—were these prints aimed at a specific religious order, or were they meant for broader consumption? I want to get my hands on it. Feel the paper. Curator: I see what you mean, since prints democratized images and beliefs. Consider how Saint Bernardino himself functioned within the Franciscan Order; advocating for a return to simple, material devotion through sermons, public rituals and banners, which themselves could be mass-produced and widely distributed. The means affected the message. Editor: And speaking of message, notice how the architecture looms large—vaulted spaces in the background. Capitelli is evoking the imposing scale of religious institutions and setting them up for what could be very bodily confrontations. Curator: Very true. And with Bernardino traveling to Palestine, we can recognize how he carried ideas across cultural contexts as he sought the very foundations of his faith in a place both historical and deeply symbolic. Editor: Fascinating! Considering the print’s function and materials helps unlock new meanings in this piece beyond pure religious iconography. Curator: Indeed, by understanding the material conditions, it opens up a richer perspective. Editor: Precisely.