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Secondary sourcePainting

Saint Benedict curing an obsessed man

Lodovico Carracci

An etching after a painting by Lodovico Carracci, showing a miracle story in which Saint Benedict cures a man believed to be possessed.

Depicts a miracle attributed to Benedict from the later tradition of saints' legends.

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Etching showing a standing man in a cloak gesturing toward a central figure who is held up by a younger man and throws his head back, while a kneeling bearded man in the foreground looks up. Several robed onlookers stand among trees on both sides. Inscription in lower corners.
Etching after Lodovico Carracci, Saint Benedict curing an obsessed man. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This is an etching made after an invention by the Italian painter Lodovico Carracci, held by the Wellcome Collection. It shows a man being held up by another figure while a standing man gestures toward him, with a kneeling bearded man and other onlookers nearby among trees. The print is inscribed with the name of the printmaker and Carracci as the original designer.

Why it matters

This image comes from the hagiographic (saint's-life) tradition that grew around Benedict long after his death, showing miracle stories attributed to him. It reveals how artists like Carracci used dramatic scenes to show Benedict's spiritual power, reflecting the religious beliefs and art of their own era rather than documented historical events.

Look closer

  • What gestures and expressions in the print suggest that something dramatic or miraculous is happening?
  • Why might an artist centuries later choose to depict a miracle rather than an ordinary event from Benedict's life?
  • What does this print NOT tell us about whether the event actually happened?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Benedict on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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