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Original fileB. Joannes Capistranvs è sodal. B. Franc
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.
Collections
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
width 156 mm x height 220 mm
religious
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.