The Virgin and Child in the sky appearing to a pope 1552 - 1607

Alessandro Casolani made this drawing, "The Virgin and Child in the Sky Appearing to a Pope," in Italy sometime between 1569 and 1606, using red chalk. The image depicts a religious vision, the kind of miraculous event often described in the biographies of Catholic saints. Casolani produced it during the period known as the Counter-Reformation, when the Catholic Church was actively attempting to combat Protestantism. At this time, one way the Catholic Church asserted its authority was by commissioning art to promote its key doctrines. The appearance of the Virgin Mary to a Pope in this drawing would have symbolized the Church's divine approval and legitimized its power structures. To understand Casolani’s art more fully, one might research the visual conventions used in Counter-Reformation art, or look for relevant papal biographies from this period. As historians, we can examine art as a window into the social and institutional conditions of the past.