The Vision of Saint Francis, kneeling at right, receiving the Christ child from the Virgin Mary 1650

Cornelis Visscher made this print, "The Vision of Saint Francis," sometime in the mid-17th century using engraving. Prints like this one played a crucial role in spreading religious ideas and shaping popular devotion in the Netherlands and across Europe. Consider how the Virgin Mary, surrounded by angels, presents the Christ child to a kneeling Saint Francis. This intimate, visionary moment speaks to the personal connection believers sought with the divine, reflecting a broader shift towards more emotional and individual religious experiences within the Catholic Church. The composition, with its dramatic lighting and idealized figures, draws on the artistic vocabulary of the Baroque era, which the Catholic Church propagated as part of the Counter-Reformation. To understand this image more fully, we might look at the history of the Franciscan order, the theology of divine visions, and the role of the printing press in disseminating religious imagery. By examining these sources, we can appreciate the complex interplay between art, religion, and society.