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Tag Archives: old masters

Collection on View

View Works from the Museum & Gallery Collection

While the Museum & Gallery is closed to the public and unable to offer public viewing hours, we continue removing the collection in preparation for moving to a new building and new location. Meanwhile, you can still see selected paintings and objects on display in these campus locations:

 

Gustafson Fine Arts Center: Atrium

Public Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM-5 PM or by tour request

Who Needs Shakespeare?
In a world of Broadway, YouTube, and Netflix who needs Shakespeare? The simple answer, of course, is we do! Simplicity aside, however, there is no writer past or present whose plots and characters more powerfully illuminate the human condition. Political intrigue, treachery, hypocrisy, selfless heroism, nobility, and beauty—are all poignantly framed and astonishingly “contemporary” (ripped from the headlines of a 24-hour news cycle). We need Shakespeare because in a culture numbed by constant distractions and irrelevant “noise,” he reminds us of our place in the world and our potential for good—or evil.

This focus exhibition opens Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

 

War Memorial Chapel

Open only by appointment or tour request

The Benjamin West Collection
The seven, monumental paintings that hang in the War Memorial Chapel constitute the largest assemblage today of works by Benjamin West, the father of American painting.

 

Mack Library

Public Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 AM-5 PM

View several Medieval and Renaissance objects from M&G’s collection, including a 16th-century Antiphonary, a 15th-century keepsake box made of bone, and more!

Homeschool Days: 2024-2025

Artists in Focus

Join us for a monthly exploration of art and time from the 1600s through the 1800s! Students (ages 5-14) will closely study the lives of artists and the significant events influencing them and their choice of art medium. Each 75-minute lesson is interactive and includes a related art activity. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to view the world through various artistic styles.

Parent attendance is optional. Review our FAQs, which cover arrival and even co-op questions.

Registration: Accepting registrants for Spring sessions HERE.

Location: Mack Building (on the campus of Bob Jones University)

Fees per Lesson: Children–$9; adults–$3

Event fees are non-refundable. Adults may choose either to attend with their child(ren) or leave after student check-in for the 75-minute lesson.

 

To further your learning at home, use these M&G activity sheets.

Elementary School Lessons (K5-5th grade)

Thursday at 9:30AM and 2PM

Friday at 9:30AM, Noon, and 2PM

Middle School Lessons (6th-8th grade)

Friday at 9:30AM, Noon, and 2PM

 

Spring Topics:

February 6-7

Claude Monet, Chief Impressionist

March 13-14

Berthe Morisot, Admired Artist

April 3-4

Vincent Van Gogh, Impasto Pioneer

Object of the Month: December 2024

Scenes from The Annunciation: God the Father in a Glory of Angels, St. Gabriel the Archangel and The Virgin Annunciate

Oil on canvas

Francesco Montemezzano

Venetian, c.1540-after 1602

In museum collections, including the Museum & Gallery, there are paintings that were once part of a larger narrative, but now stand as individual works of art. These pieces, usually parts of large altarpieces, have been reduced in size for various reasons such as damage to the whole, for profit, or to fit a new arrangement. Very few that have been broken up have managed to stay together. Francesco Montemezzano’s The Annunciation is one of those lucky few.

At first glance in the galleries, you may notice a similar velvety color palette and free brushwork but may not realize they are one of a whole. If not for the close arrangement in display, one may not be able to see the full image. Originally in a horizontal format, the painting was altered sometime in the seventeenth century to fit a vertical, architectural enframement. Despite this physical cropping, we can still see the theme of the annunciation.

The annunciation is a common subject portrayed in Christian art. The moment is recorded in Luke 1:26-38 where Gabriel informs Mary that she will fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 promising “a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” This theme became very popular in fifteenth-century altarpieces and were reinterpreted by artists throughout history such as Fra Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, and John William Waterhouse. Each artist put their own spin on the theme, reflecting the stylistic ethos of the time and the artists’ own taste, but there are common elements.

Mary, Gabriel, and a dove are the main figures. Sometimes they are outside in an hortus conclusus or “enclosed garden,” and other times they are cloistered inside, symbolizing Mary’s chastity. Lilies are usually present, carried by Gabriel or somewhere in the composition, further emphasizing Mary’s purity as a virgin. Mary is commonly shown in prayer with a prayer book or missal kneeling at a prie-dieu. A dove or beam of light usually represents God’s blessing on Mary as His chosen handmaiden or the symbol of immaculate conception.

With this brief background, Montemezzano’s Annunciation stands out. We can see architectural elements throughout the three paintings and a possible garden behind Mary. Was this Montemezzano’s nod to the hortus conclusus? And where is the dove or beam of light that is often shown? Because of its fragmented state, we may never know exactly what the artist designed. However, Montemezzano did include one unique figure in this Annunciation—God the Father. Very few depictions of the annunciation include a physical God the Father, most only show his messenger Gabriel and the dove.

There are actually two other annunciation scenes in M&G’s collection that show God the Father in physical form (one found in galleries 4 and 10). Here, in Montemezzano’s work, God the Father is shown breaking through clouds and the architectural ceiling, symbolizing His passage into the earthly realm. Despite the unique inclusion of God the Father, His presence fits the annunciation theme perfectly. It is a foreshadowing of another part of the Trinity, Jesus, coming into our world to dwell with us as told by Matthew 1:23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

The Annunciation reminds us of promises fulfilled, how a Savior will dwell with us and come into this broken world to make us whole. While this painting will never have that opportunity to be truly whole again, we as believers are reminded of that promise for us this Christmas season.

 

KC Christmas Beach, M&G summer art educator

 

Published 2024

Easter-themed Works of Art in M&G’s Collection

Enjoy this focused selection of short video clips featuring M&G paintings depicting the Easter story.

Constantijn van Renesse (attr. to): Christ before Pilate
Picture Books of the Past: Unknown Dutch
Picture Books of the Past: Gustave Doré
Christ before Pilate: Master of St. Severin
The Risen Christ: Gerard David
Whatsoever Things Are… Pure: Christ Blessing
Whatsoever Things Are… Pure: The Risen Christ
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: Painted Crucifix
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: The Man of Sorrows
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: The Last Supper
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: Triumphal Entry
David de Haen: The Mocking of Christ
Giovanni Antonio Bazzi: Procession to Calvary
Jusepe de Ribera: Ecce Homo
Peter Paul Rubens: Christ on the Cross
Stefano Cernotto (attr. to): The Last Supper
Philippe de Champaigne: The Christ of Derision
The Easter Story: Two Centurions

 

 

If you enjoyed these objects from M&G’s collection, visit here to see more!

M&G Collections Online

As we continue to make more works available online, survey some of the paintings and objects in M&G’s collection. Click on the images below to enjoy videos, articles, and audio stops.

 

Bethlehem Manger
The Annunciation: Pieter Fransz. de Grebber
Object of the Month: December 2024
Christ and the Samaritan Woman
Rest on the Flight into Egypt: Bartolommeo Guidobono
Object of the Month: November 2024
The Dream of St. Peter: Roelandt Savery
Object of the Month: October 2024
The Coronation of the Virgin
Object of the Month: September 2024
Madonna and Child with Saints: Giacomo or Giulio Francia
St. Anthony of Padua: Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Il Guercino
Object of the Month: August 2024
Christ Coming Up Out of the Jordan: Benjamin West, P.R.A.
The Princes St. Basil and St. Constantine of Yaroslavl
Object of the Month: July 2024
The Last Judgment: Placido Costanzi
Object of the Month: June 2024
Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist
Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh: Benjamin West, P.R.A.
Pietro Martire Neri: St. Jerome
The Young Christ
Object of the Month: May 2024
Object of the Month: April 2024
Picture Books of the Past: The Tribulation of Job
Mrs. Siddons as Lady Macbeth
Object of the Month: March 2024
Clay Tablet
Constantijn van Renesse (attr. to): Christ before Pilate
Object of the Month: February 2024
Bronze Pitcher
Object of the Month: January 2024
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Antiphonary
Object of the Month: December
Object of the Month: November 2023
Picture Books of the Past: Jacopo Robusti, called Il Tintoretto
Object of the Month: October 2023
Picture Books of the Past: Marietta Robusti
Carved Walnut Relief
Object of the Month: September 2023
Picture Books of the Past: Unknown Dutch
Jacopo de Carolis
Object of the Month: August 2023
Picture Books of the Past: Jusepe de Ribera, called Lo Spagnoletto
Rafael Govertsz. Camphuysen
Object of the Month: July 2023
Domenico Fiasella
Picture Books of the Past: Lorenzo di Bicci
Object of the Month: June 2023
Picture Books of the Past: Mattia Preti
St. Michael the Archangel Overcoming Satan
Object of the Month: May 2023
Picture Books of the Past: Bartolommeo Neroni
Holy Kinship
Picture Books of the Past: Gustave Doré
The Entry into Jerusalem
Object of the Month: April 2023
Object of the Month: March 2023
Christ before Pilate: Master of St. Severin
Giuseppe Bessi
Object of the Month: February 2023
Psuedo Pier Francesco Fiorentino
Picture Books of the Past: Master of Staffolo
Object of the Month: January 2023
Picture Books of the Past: Edwin Long
Object of the Month: December 2022
Picture Books of the Past: Pieter Fransz. de Grebber
Juan Sanchez, the Younger
Object of the Month: November 2022
Picture Books of the Past: Lorenzo di Niccolo di Martino
Denys Calvaert, called Dionisio Fiammingo
Object of the Month: October 2022
Picture Books of the Past: Unknown Follower of Paolo Caliari, called Paolo Veronese
Mario Balassi
Object of the Month: September 2022
Hebrew Demi Omer
Picture Books of the Past: Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra
Object of the Month: August 2022
Picture Books of the Past: Carlo Dolci
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem
Allegory on the Fall and Redemption of Man: Lucas Cranach, the Younger
Object of the Month: July 2022
Object of the Month: June 2022
Sébastien Bourdon
Madonna and Child with Saints: Niccolò di Pietro Gerini
Object of the Month: May 2022
Giovanni Coli and Filippo Gherardi
Object of the Month: April 2022
Whatsoever Things Are… Worthy of Praise: God the Father
Whatsoever Things Are… Worthy of Praise: King David Playing the Harp
Whatsoever Things Are… Excellent: Isaiah’s Lips Anointed with Fire
Whatsoever Things Are… Excellent: Mary Magdalene Turning from the World to Christ
Whatsoever Things Are… Commendable: The Tribulation of Job
Whatsoever Things Are… Commendable: Christ and the Roman Centurion
Whatsoever Things Are… Lovely: Christ Healing the Blind Man
Whatsoever Things Are… Lovely: The Heavenly Shepherd
Whatsoever Things Are… Pure: Christ Blessing
Whatsoever Things Are… Pure: The Risen Christ
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: Painted Crucifix
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: The Man of Sorrows
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: The Last Supper
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: Triumphal Entry
Whatsoever Things Are… Just: St. Michael the Archangel and St. Agnes
Whatsoever Things Are… Honorable: The Good Samaritan
Whatsoever Things Are… Honorable: Ananias Restores Sight to Saul
Whatsoever Things Are… True: Christ and the Samaritan Woman
Whatsoever Things Are… True: St. Paul
Antonio Checchi (called Guidaccio da Imola): The Coronation of the Virgin
Procession to Calvary
Object of the Month: March 2022
Jacopo Robusti (called Il Tintoretto): The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon
Torah Scroll
Object of the Month: February 2022
Rembrandt van Rijn (school of): Head of Christ
Gerrit van Honthorst
David de Haen: The Mocking of Christ
Object of the Month: January 2022
Scenes from the Life of Christ
Object of the Month: December 2021
Jan Boeckhorst: Adoration of the Magi
St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker
Object of the Month: November 2021
Jan Victors: Esther Accusing Haman
Eyre Crowe: Wittenberg, October 31, 1517
Object of the Month: October 2021
Reliquary Head of a Monk
Francesco Fracanzano: The Tribulation of Job
Object of the Month: September 2021
Object of the Month: August 2021
Giovanni Antonio Bazzi: Procession to Calvary
Object of the Month: July 2021
Ginevra Cantofoli
Michail Nicholaievich Molodeshin
Pompeo Batoni
Domenico Fiasella: The Flight into Egypt
Object of the Month: June 2021
William Hamilton, R.A.
French Stained Glass: The Fountain of Life
Object of the Month: May 2021
Christ the Redeemer: Paris Bordone
Jan Gossaert, called Mabuse (attr. to)
Object of the Month: April 2021
Madonna and Child: Master of the Greenville Tondo
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (school of)
Object of the Month: March 2021
John the Baptist: Polychromed Sculpture
Louis XVI Musical Mantel Clock
Object of the Month: February 2021
Gaspar de Crayer: St. Augustine & St. Ambrose
Peter Paul Rubens (follower of)
Edwin Long: Vashti Refuses the King’s Summons
Object of the Month: January 2021
Jacopo Robusti, called Il Tintoretto
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Inspiration
Object of the Month: December 2020
Two Angels with Banner
Govaert Flinck: Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
Object of the Month: November 2020
Domenico Zampieri, called Il Domenichino
Simon Vouet: Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
Object of the Month: October 2020
Object of the Month: September 2020
Francesco Granacci: Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Object of the Month: August 2020
Frederic James Shields: The Pre-Raphaelites
Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli (and studio): Madonna and Child with an Angel
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Jusepe de Ribera: Ecce Homo
Gustave Doré: Christ Leaving the Praetorium
Girolamo Della Robbia: Terracotta Busts
Mattia Preti: Christ Seats the Child in the Midst of the Disciples
Peter Paul Rubens: Christ on the Cross
Cassone: Renaissance Marriage Chest
Francesco de Rosa: The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
Guido Reni: The Four Evangelists
Geritt van Honthorst: The Holy Family in the Carpenter Shop
Francois de Troy: Christ and the Samaritan Woman
Francesco Cavazzoni: Legend of the Finding of the True Cross
Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo (attr. to): The Last Judgment
Stefano Cernotto (attr. to): The Last Supper
Salvator Rosa: Landscape with the Baptism of Christ
Domenico Zampieri: St. John the Evangelist
Jaun de Flandes: St. Augustine and St.Roch
Jan Hermansz. van Bijlert: Mary Magdalene Turning from the World to Christ
Anthony van Dyck: Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa)
Jan Swart van Groningen: Nativity Triptych
Jan Gossaert: The Madonna of the Fireplace
Northern Mannerism: The Martyrdom of Peter
Marietta Robusti: Allegory of Wisdom
Philippe de Champaigne: The Christ of Derision
Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra: St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness
Benjamin West, P.R.A.
Object of the Month: July 2020
Carlo Francesco Nuvolone
Object of the Month: June 2020
Carlo Dolci
Object of the Month: May 2020
Object of the Month: April 2020
Vasiliy Fedotovich Il’in
Object of the Month: March 2020
Edwin Long, R. A.
Object of the Month: February 2020
Hezekiah Tapestry Series
Object of the Month: January 2020
Master of the Borghese Tondo
Object of the Month: December 2019
John Koch
Object of the Month: November 2019
Bone Casket
Object of the Month: October 2019
Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti
Object of the Month: September 2019
Richard Houston (engraver)
Object of the Month: August 2019
Object of the Month: July 2019
Salvator Rosa
Object of the Month: June 2019
Pietro Novelli
Object of the Month: May 2019
Johann Friedrich Overbeck
Benjamin West, P. R. A.
Object of the Month: March 2019
Gaspar de Crayer
Object of the Month: February 2019
Lucas Cranach, the Younger
Object of the Month: January 2019
Object of the Month: December 2018
Frans Francken, the Younger
Object of the Month: November 2018
Object of the Month: October 2018
Eyre Crowe
Gustave Doré
Object of the Month: September 2018
Niccolò di Pietro Gerini
Object of the Month: August 2018
Object of the Month: July 2018
Edward Matthew Ward, R.A.
Object of the Month: June 2018
Object of the Month: May 2018
Object of the Month: April 2018
Object of the Month: March 2018
Object of the Month: February 2018
Object of the Month: January 2018
Object of the Month: December 2017
Object of the Month: November 2017
Object of the Month: October 2017
Object of the Month: September 2017
Object of the Month: August 2017
Object of the Month: July 2017
Object of the Month: June 2017
Object of the Month: May 2017
Object of the Month: April 2017
Object of the Month: March 2017
Object of the Month: February 2017
Object of the Month: January 2017
Object of the Month: December 2016
Object of the Month: November 2016
Object of the Month: October 2016
Object of the Month: August 2016
Object of the Month: July 2016
Object of the Month: June 2016
Object of the Month: May 2016
Object of the Month: April 2016
Object of the Month: February 2016
Object of the Month: January 2016
Object of the Month: December 2015
Object of the Month: November 2015
Object of the Month: October 2015
Object of the Month: September 2015
Object of the Month: August 2015
Object of the Month: July 2015
Object of the Month: June 2015
Object of the Month: May 2015
Object of the Month: April 2015
Object of the Month: March 2015
Object of the Month: February 2015
Object of the Month: December 2014
Object of the Month: November 2014
Object of the Month: October 2014
Object of the Month: September 2014
Object of the Month: August 2014
Object of the Month: June 2014
Object of the Month: May 2014
Object of the Month: April 2014
Object of the Month: March 2014
Object of the Month: February 2014
Object of the Month: January 2014
Object of the Month: December 2013
Object of the Month: November 2013
Object of the Month: October 2013
Object of the Month: September 2013
Object of the Month: August 2013
Object of the Month: July 2013
Object of the Month: June 2013
Object of the Month: May 2013
Object of the Month: April 2013
Object of the Month: March 2013
Object of the Month: February 2013

Object of the Month: August 2023

St. Margaret, St. Ursula, and St. Agnus

Oil on panel

Unknown Rhenish School

Rhenish, active c. 1500

In last month’s article on the companion panel by this Rhenish Master, we discovered that context reveals a wealth of information. We also learned that although there are common symbols in Christian iconography, most saints have one or more distinct attributes that alert us to their identity. Such clues are particularly important when seeking to determine saints with common names like Catherine—or Margaret.

There are two Margaret’s mentioned in traditional hagiographies: St. Margaret of Antioch and St. Margaret of Scotland. The far-left figure in this panel is most likely St. Margaret of Scotland. How do we know? According to legend, Margaret of Antioch was a young beauty who endured several harrowing ordeals before being martyred, including being swallowed by a dragon. The absence of this mythical beast, which became Margaret of Antioch’s distinguishing attribute, provides the first clue. In addition, there are no accompanying symbols indicating that the figure in this panel was martyred (e.g., no laurel wreath, sword, etc.). This elegantly posed Margaret simply points to the cross she holds. The cross is, of course, a universal symbol of Christianity but it is also an integral part of Margaret of Scotland’s life and legacy.

A relative of Edward the confessor, Margaret and her brother were forced to flee England when William the Conqueror invaded the realm. They took refuge in Scotland at the court of King Malcolm Canmore where Margaret “as beautiful as she was good and accomplished” soon captured the heart the king. The two were married in 1070. Alban Butler notes, “This marriage was fraught with great blessing for Malcolm and for Scotland. He was rough and uncultured but his disposition was good, and Margaret through the great influence she acquired over him, softened his temper, polished his manners, and rendered him one of the most virtuous kings who ever occupied the Scottish throne. . . . What she did for her husband Margaret also did in a great measure for her adopted country” (Butler, p. 182). She encouraged (and in some cases spearheaded) much needed reforms in the arts, education, and religion. She would die just four days after her husband, who had been slain while trying to stave off an attack on their castle. In addition to a cross, Margaret is often shown wearing her crown as in the stained-glass panel to the right from the Royal Collection Trust. (For a more detailed overview of Margaret’s life and times see David McRoberts historical essay, “St. Margaret Queen of Scotland.”)

Unlike Margaret of Scotland, there is considerable doubt regarding the historicity of the center figure St. Ursula. According to legend Ursula was the daughter of a Christian monarch who caught the eye of a pagan king. Upon his proposal Ursula asked (and was granted) a three-year delay. During this time of reprieve, she sailed off to visit the shrines of the saints. Accompanying her on the journey were ten noble ladies-in-waiting and several thousand companions of “lower birth.” At the end of the grace period, this formidable entourage turned toward home. However, a storm-tossed sea drove them off course forcing them to disembark at Cologne. While awaiting favorable winds, they crossed the Alps to visit the tombs of the apostles in Rome. Unfortunately when the sojourners returned to Cologne, they found the city besieged by the Huns—whose chieftain demanded that Ursula become his wife. When she refused, she and her fellow travelers “were set upon and massacred for their Christianity by the heathen Huns. Then the barbarians were dispersed by angels, the citizens buried the martyrs, and a church was built in their honor” (Butler, 130).

In this panel, Ursula is pictured holding a heart pierced with the three arrows the Chieftain supposedly used to kill her. In addition to this distinguishing attribute Ursula is also sometimes painted surrounded by her martyred entourage. The painting to the left by Vittore Carpaccio is a good illustration. Carpaccio’s rendering of Ursula is part of a famous cycle in the Gallerie dell’ Accademia in Venice—which is currently undergoing restoration. The cycle consists of nine paintings from Ursula’s life. You can read more about the history and preservation of this impressive undertaking at Save Venice: Conserving Art, Celebrating History.

The third figure, St. Agnes, has always been extremely popular in the lexicon of saints. According to the eminent church father Augustine, she was just thirteen when martyred. Her death likely occurred in Rome at the outset of Diocletian’s persecution which began in March of 303 AD. Though just a girl, “her riches and beauty excited the young noblemen of the first families in Rome to contend as rivals for her hand” (Butler, p. 96). But Agnes had resolved not to marry and when her suitors failed to persuade her otherwise, they went as one before the governor to accuse her of being a Christian. The wily politician at first endeavored to procure her recantation through seductive promises of worldly treasure. To no avail. “He then made use of threats, . . .terrible fires were made, and iron hooks, racks and other instruments of torture displayed before her, with threats of immediate execution. The heroic child surveyed them undismayed” (Butler, p. 96). The profligate politician then sent her to a house of prostitution, but any who sought to harm her, “were seized with such awe at the sight of the saint that they durst not approach her” (Ibid, p. 96). She was sent back to the governor unscathed which so stoked his rage that he had her beheaded, making the sword one of her defining attributes. She is also often pictured with a lamb (relating her name to the word agnus which is Latin for lamb).  M&G’s St. Michael the Archangel and St. Agnes by the Flemish painter Colijin de Coter highlights this symbol. Although modern authorities tend to dismiss many of the particulars of Agnes’s story, there is little doubt that she was martyred during the Roman persecution and that she was subsequently buried in one of the catacombs just outside of Rome along the Via Nomentana.

 

Donnalynn Hess, Director of Education

 

Reference:

One Hundred and One Saints: Their Lives and Likenesses Drawn from Butler’s “Lives of the Saints and Great Works of Western Art.” A Bulfinch Press Book: Little, Brown and Company (Compilation Copyright 1993).

 

Published 2023

 

Picture Books of the Past: Jusepe de Ribera, called Lo Spagnoletto

Enjoy this series of segments highlighting Picture Books of the Past: Reading Old Master Paintings, a loan exhibition of 60+ works from the M&G collection. The exhibit has traveled to The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. and the Orlando Museum of Art in Florida.

This work by Jusepe de Ribera is one of the most compelling portraits of Christ of the 16th century. (Following your video viewing click HERE to access the additional information provided on the exhibition’s text panels.)

Object of the Month: July 2023

St. Barbara, St. Catherine, and St. Euphemia

Oil on panel

Unknown Rhenish School

Rhenish, active c. 1500

Although there is no biographical material on the painter of these works, we do know two facts. First, he was Rhenish (a designation coined in the 1300s referencing those who lived in a loosely defined region of Europe bordering the Rhine). Second, we know that he was active around 1500—at the height of the Renaissance. During his lifetime literacy and learning were increasing, capitalism emerging, scientific discoveries flourishing, and with the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press mass communication was transforming every aspect of European culture. In The Panorama of the Renaissance Margaret Aston notes, “The invention of printing changed the whole intellectual world forever. Without it, classical learning would have been confined to a Coterie of scholars; the reformation would have been a quarrel between theologians; popular literature would have been impossible; scientific discoveries would have languished unread” (p. 206).

This “revolution” had a tremendous influence on the visual arts as well. Artists across Europe could now readily disseminate images of their paintings, woodcuts, and engravings for critique and profit. In addition, printed versions of works like Jacobus de Voragine’s The Golden Legend reinvigorated the visual imagination. Originally compiled between 1260 and 1298, de Voragine’s hagiography (idealized biography of the saints) became the most printed book in Europe between 1470 and 1530. One 16th-century historian observed that “artists found in The Golden Legend a storehouse of events and persons to be illustrated,” and the imagery created in these “illustrations” helped codify the iconographic tradition we still reference today. For example, the figures in this panel painting are identified by their attributes—objects, clothing, colors, and symbols linked to their specific biographies. As we’ll see in our analysis, attributes may be shared by more than one saint; however, each saint usually has at least one key attribute that highlights his or her individuality.

Although St. Barbara, the first of the three saints in this panel, was one of the most popular saints during the Middle Ages, her story is most likely fictional. In Lives of the Saints, Alban Butler notes “There is considerable doubt of the existence of a virgin martyr called Barbara, and it is quite certain that her legend is spurious.” Regardless, her story is a fascinating read. According to legend, she was the beautiful daughter of Dioscorus—a wealthy Roman who built a lavish tower to hide her from the world. Dioscorus’s motivation for this sequestration varies. In some versions he is driven by protective love, in others simple cruelty. Details of her conversion also vary. In one of the more popular accounts, while her father is away on a journey Barbara invites a Christian disciple to visit her in the tower and is persuaded to accept Christianity. Soon after her conversion she summons a workman and insists that he create a third window in her tower wall. Upon his return, Dioscorus questions this architectural alteration. Barbara replies: “Three windows [symbolizing the trinity] lighten all the world and all creatures, but two make darkness.” She also reveals to her father her newfound faith. Enraged Dioscorus turns her over to the Roman authorities to be tortured. Then, at his own request, he is given a sword and “permitted to strike off her head.” But this cruel deed does not go unpunished. As Dioscorus travels home, he is struck down by a bolt of lightning and dies. In addition to the sword, Barbara’s key attributes include the sacramental cup and wafer pictured in M&G’s work and the three-windowed, cathedral-like tower shown in Jan van Eyck’s metalpoint brush drawing. The palm frond (which Romans used as a symbol of victory) is also included in van Eyck’s portrait and is a common symbol of a martyr’s triumph over death.

The sword held by the remaining two figures is also a commonly shared symbol of martyrdom by beheading. However, both figures are also pictured with an additional symbol unique to their individual narratives. Notice the broken, spiked “wheel” entwined in the hem of the central figure’s robe; this object identifies her as Catherine of Alexandria whose martyrdom involved not only a sword but also a spiked wheel.  Dr. Karen Jones covers the details of this Egyptian princess’s life and iconography in an article highlighting another M&G portrait of Catherine by Francesco Casella.

St. Euphemia is memorialized in both Catholic and Greek Orthodox hagiographic literature and art. The M&G image with its subtle blending of flesh tones and more complex figuration is characteristic of a western painting style, while the inset portrait to the right highlights the stylized form and painstaking precision of Greek icon painting. Both images, though vastly different, are equally compelling. Differences in the literary texts are minimal. In almost all versions, Euphemia is born in Chalcedon in 304 A. D. when Rome ruled the known world.  height. The narrative begins when the Chalcedon governor Priscus orders all inhabitants to attend a festival honoring the god Ares. Unwilling to participate in this pagan ritual 49 believers (including the young Euphemia) gather in a house to pray. Their hiding place is soon discovered, and the worshipers brought before Priscus. For 19 days they are tortured but all refuse to deny the faith. So Priscus sends all but Euphemia to Emperor Diocletian in Rome for execution. Separated from her fellow believers, the governor tempts her with promises of earthly blessings; still Euphemia stands firm. Enraged the governor orders her cast into fire, but the flames fail to burn her; he then sends her into the arena, but the wild animals refuse to attack her. It is here in the climax of the narrative that Greek and Catholic versions of the legend diverge. In the Greek version Euphemia prays that the Lord will allow her to die a violent death in the arena. In answer to her prayer a she-bear approaches and gives her a small wound in the leg. Blood begins to flow from the wound and eventually she dies. In the Catholic version she is eventually beheaded for neither lions nor bears will do her harm. Hence, her distinguishing attribute is either a bear or a lion like the one languidly resting at her feet in our Rhenish panel.

This is one of two panels created by this unknown master. His second panel (equally lovely) showcases Saint Margaret, Saint Ursula, and Saint Agnus. We’ll take a look at their stories in our next month’s article.

 

Donnalynn Hess, Director of Education

Additional Resources:

The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints. Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, 1275. First Edition Published 1470. Englished by William Caxton, First Edition 1483, Edited by F.S. Ellis, Temple Classics, 1900 (Reprinted 1922, 1931.)

One Hundred and One Saints: Their Lives and Likenesses Drawn from Butler’s “Lives of the Saints and Great Works of Western Art.” A Bulfinch Press Book: Little, Brown and Company (Compilation Copyright 1993).

 

Published 2023

Domenico Fiasella

The Flight into Egypt

Domenico Fiasella, called Il Sarzana

Below the image, click play to listen.

The Collection

The Old Master Painting Collection

The Museum & Gallery’s Old Master painting collection provides a rare viewer experience outside European cities and metropolitan areas with beautiful masterworks by recognized artists and their students—all of which are aesthetically exhibited with period furniture, sculpture, and tapestries to lend a period ambiance to the galleries and give patrons a panoramic view of ages past.  Of special note, M&G’s baroque paintings represent some of the most important artists and their works in the country.

The Collection is one of the largest and most interesting collections of European Old Master paintings in America. These works of art from the 14th through the 19th centuries beautifully trace the religious, artistic, and cultural history of Western Europe. Included are important works of many major artists such as Vannuccio, Botticelli, Cranach, Gerard David, Rubens, van Dyck, Reni, Domenichino, Guercino, Murillo, Ribera, Honthorst, and Doré. For a glimpse, view this virtual tour.

Patrons can also enjoy M&G’s Bowen Collection of Antiquities with artifacts that span 37 centuries and represent every day life from ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Hebrew cultures; and the Benjamin West Collection, a series of paintings housed in the War Memorial Chapel (on the campus of Bob Jones University).

M&G’s Russian Icon Collection, which dates from the 14th through 20th centuries and includes several icons once owned by members of the Romanov family, the last tsars of Russia.

While not all of the collections are available online, we continue to add more monthly. You can see some of the individual works and objects through articles, short video clips, and audio stops. OR view the variety of Collection objects currently available online here.