Episode 22: Saint Bernardino heals a boy with a facial sore; Episode 23: The people make daily supplication to Saint Bernardino; Episod e24: Saint Bernardino cures a diseased woman, from "The Life of Saint Bernardino of Siena"

Art Historical Context

This etching, part of a series illustrating *The Life of Saint Bernardino Siena*, captures three miraculous episodes from the 15th-century Franciscan preacher's legend: Saint Bernardino healing a boy with a facial sore ( 22), the faithful making daily supplications to himEpisode 23), and a diseased woman (Episode24). Created between 1610 and 1639 by Sienese artists Rutilio Manetti, who likely designed the compositions, and engraver Bernardino Capitelli, reflects the Baroque era's dramatic storytelling. Printed on a plate measuring 8 7/16 × 10 13/16 inches, the work now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to The Elisha Whittelsey Collection. Saint Bernardino of Siena (1380–1444) was a fiery orator canonized for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus and reputed healings, making him a Counter-Reformation icon in Catholic Italy. These scenes underscore his role as a miracle-worker, promoting piety amid post-Tridentine efforts to inspire devotion through visual hagiography. Etching's fine lines allowed intricate details—like expressive faces and dynamic crowds—bringing spiritual narratives to a wide audience via affordable prints. As a testament to Siena's artistic legacy, this piece blends Manetti's vivid Mannerist-Baroque style with Capitelli's precise technique, offering visitors a window into 17th-century religious fervor and the power of printmaking to democratize sacred stories.