Raimundus van Capua bezoekt Catharina thuis en treft Christus aan 1603

Cornelis Galle I created this engraving, “Raimundus van Capua bezoekt Catharina thuis en treft Christus aan,” sometime between the late 16th and mid-17th century. Galle was part of a prolific family of printmakers in Antwerp, a city at the heart of the Counter-Reformation. The print depicts a scene of religious ecstasy. It is meant to illustrate Catherine of Siena’s profound spiritual experiences. The image shows Raimundus, Catherine’s confessor, witnessing Christ taking Catherine’s place in her bed. There is a tension in the image between the domestic scene and the miraculous event. The composition suggests the intermingling of the earthly and the divine, reflecting the period’s intense focus on personal religious experience. Such prints played a key role in disseminating religious ideas and reinforcing the doctrines of the Church, whilst offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of female saints who exercised considerable spiritual and intellectual authority.