Hildegard of Bingen was a medieval abbess, prophet, artist, composer, physician, advisor to popes, and has of late been declared a Doctor of the Church, one of only 36. She had her first mystic vision at age 3; she had many throughout her life and wrote illustrated books about them. This is an illustration of one of her visions. We find the colors and composition of this piece to be extremely interesting. The dragon resembles the beast from St. John's Revelation with its seven heads and feet like a bear. Even though this portrays a contest, the calm tone comes from God's victory, known by both parties beforehand. There is a balance to the picture, but the angel has the superior position. We think perhaps the implication of God's power is part of what gives this picture its beauty. The International Society of Hildegard von Bingen Studies offers commentary on her visions at www hildegard-society (dot) org. ** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a white border of about 0.5" inch for 5x7", 1.3" for 8.5x11", or 1.6" for 11x14" pictures. All Approx! Fine art printers do this because the images are almost never the same rectangular ratio of the standard paper sizes. It also gives the prints a finished look, and lets them look good in a frame without a matt. – Acid-free paper – Archival pigments, rated to last for generations. – Cardboard backer – Above story of the art – Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag. Thanks for your interest! Thanks! Sue & John You might also enjoy original Catholic Art and Jewerly by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, here on Etsy at www.Etsy.com/shop/TreeOfHeaven Also, check out our Catholic Quote shop, where we are pairing authentic quotes from Saints with Art: www.Etsy.com/shop/CatholicQuote “In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson – CatholicArtAndJewelry.