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B. Joannes Capistranvs è sodal. B. Franc

Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen

Original file
PrintCC0 1.0

B. Joannes Capistranvs è sodal. B. Franc

Aegidius Sadeler

1615
paper
width 156 mm x height 220 mm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

About This Work

In the center of the composition, a haloed John of Capistrano stands amidst a chaotic battlefield, holding a large fluttering banner and gesturing toward the enemy. He is surrounded by soldiers dressed in contemporary 17th-century armor and hats, armed with matchlock muskets and tall rectangular shields. In the background, a massive stone fortress stands on a cliff, while a secondary scene shows the saint preaching to a large crowd from a raised pulpit.

Created by Aegidius Sadeler, the preeminent engraver of the Rudolfine court in Prague, this print reflects the 'Church Militant' ideology common during the Counter-Reformation. It demonstrates the intersection of traditional hagiography with the technical precision of early modern military science, as seen in the detailed rendering of firearms and defensive tactics.

Inscriptions(Latin)

B. IOANNES CAPISTRANVS È SODAL. B. FRANC.

Hic Francisce tuus miles, tua signa per orbem
Nominis ingenti cum pietate tulit.
Nunc inter promachos sine telo tela repressit,
Et cruce perculsit signa inimica crucis.

Alea damnata est flammis, talusq., latroq.,
Totaq. chartarum plaustra cremata focis.
Si purgare iuvat monstris feralibus orbem,
Mitte CAPISTRANOS, Cerberus ipse tremet.

Translation

B. JOHN OF CAPISTRANO OF THE ORDER OF B. FRANCIS.

Here, Francis, your soldier bore your standards through the world
With immense piety toward your name.
Now, among the champions, without a weapon he repressed weapons,
And with the Cross he struck down the enemies of the Cross.

The dice were condemned to the flames, and the knucklebone, and the thief,
And whole cartloads of cards were consumed in the hearths.
If it pleases you to purge the world of deadly monsters,
Send CAPISTRANOS, and Cerberus himself will tremble.

Provenance & Source

Object

Holding Institution

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Medium

paper

Dimensions

width 156 mm x height 220 mm

GenreAI

religious

Digital Source

Source

Rijksmuseum · CC0 1.0

Original Resolution

2873 × 4096 px

Harvested

March 25, 2026

Linked Data

AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.

View full resolution (2873 × 4096)

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