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Flemish School. 16th century.
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Description
Flemish School. 16th century.
‘Mary as the Gateway to Heaven. Allegory of the examination of conscience to achieve a Good Death’.
Oil on panel. Accompanied by an imposing carved and gilded wooden frame.
92 x 70 cm.
Magnificent panel depicting the final moment of a human being lying in the centre of the bottom of the composition, taking stock of his good and bad deeds, the examination of conscience of his life; a prayerful reflection on his thoughts, words and actions in the light of the Gospel to determine how he may have sinned against God and others. The artist must have been familiar with the theology of the time, as taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises, which taught: ‘at the end of the day, at the time of going to rest’ ‘to make a daily peaceful reflection on all that has happened [...] to find God in all things [...] even in those where God had apparently hidden himself’. 'The human conscience imagines its life at the ‘hour of eternal rest’.
The painter places Mary, the Gate of Heaven, at the centre, as the Mother of Mercy who always awaits with open hands on her heart. In Glory, the Holy Trinity awaits, God the reigning Father, the Suffering Son and the Holy Spirit who flies over everything and everyone. When contemplating this work, we see three differentiated levels, in which numbered phylacteries fly, like speech bubbles, which arrange the conversation. Above in the sky: Son (11) ‘PATER RESPICE VULNERA MEA...’ (‘Father, remember my wounds...’). And he also addresses his mother (14): ‘MATER MEA, FIAT TIBI SICUT VIS’ (‘My mother, let it be done as you will’). God the Father (12) ‘VENIT TEMPUS MISEREN DIEORUM’ (‘The hour has come for the miserable days’).
The Father, who addresses the Virgin and calls her Daughter: ‘FILIA FIAT TIBI SICUT VIS’ (‘Daughter, be it done as you will’). And the third from heaven is the Dove or Holy Spirit (1) ‘SPONSA FIAT TIBI SICUT VIS’ (‘Bride, be it as thou wilt’).
On the second level, horizontally speaking, and in the centre, the Virgin responds with three phylacteries (8): ‘PATER RESPICIE IN FACIEM CHRISTI’ (‘Father receive and look at the face of Christ’), (9) ‘FILI ASPICE UBERA QUAE TE LACTAVERUNT’ (‘Son, look at the breasts that suckled you’), and (10) ‘S. Se. DEUS ECCE QUOS AMAS INFIRMANTUR‘ (’God, Holy among the Saints, strengthen those you love"). The angels on the left, over which he prays: ‘PER HANC NOS AD DEUM’ (‘Through these, we go to God’), ask their Queen (7): ‘IUUA PUSILLANIMES, MARIA ANGELORUM REGINA’ (‘Mary, Queen of Angels, look upon the fainthearted youth’).
On the right are saints and the Church: Saints Peter and Paul, Popes and Holy Fathers, and Saint Peter the Martyr, among others. Above them: ‘PER HANC DEUS AD NOS’ (‘Through these, God goes to us’), and they respond to their Mother: ‘SU COURE MISERIS SANCTORUM MATER’ (‘Merciful Mother of Saints, attend this tribunal with your heart’).
On the earthly level, rests the conscience, lying in the form of a sick human being, who speaks to the Virgin (2): ‘MARIA, TU AB HOSTES PROTEGE ET HORA MORTIS SUSCIPE’ (‘Mary, protect yourself from the enemy and listen to the hour of death’). To which she replies from heaven (16): ‘CONFIDITE FILII, EXAUDITE EST ORATIO NOSTRA’. (‘Son of trust, hear our prayer’). And St. Michael the Archangel, who is named, brandishes his sword over the devil, and says to him (17): ‘IMPERET TIBI DEUS’ (‘God will annihilate you’). And that devil, who is leaning over the recumbent, says (1): ‘PECCAMUSTIS NON SPERETIS VENIAM’ (‘You must sin, do not expect forgiveness’).
To the left of the couch, is an angel looking up and praying (5): ‘OCURRITE ANGELI DOMINI’ (‘Angels of the Lord, come’). To the left of his wing we read ‘STOS’ (‘he who remains standing’).
To the right of the sick man Saint John the Evangelist (‘PROTECTOR’, behind him, above the shield) cries out: ‘SUB VENITE SANCTI DEI’ (‘Saints of God, come to him’). Two saints pray with the sick man, a Carmelite and an Augustinian, behind whom ‘death breathes, symbolised by the caravel waiting patiently with its shining dart’. The sick man communicates that he has had only one thought, of the fear of God (‘TIMOR DEI’), his whole life rests on the theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity (pillows), rests on his good works, thoughts and words (‘BONAE OPERA, BONAE COGITATIONIS, BONAE LOQUTIONES’), and rests on the cardinal virtues (legs of the bed) Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance.
The devil, who stalks the dying man, sticks out from under his bed, which raised on a platform covered with a valance: ‘CONFUNDANTUR QUI ME PERSEQUNTUR ET NON CONFUNDAR’ (‘Those who persecute me will be confused, and they will not confuse me’); while the dying man prays and speaks to all: ‘MISEREMINI NOSTRI SALTEM VOS, AMICI NOSTRI’ (‘At least, you, our friends, have mercy on us’).
All this theological life ‘has a face, an owner, a face, a family’, represented by the heraldic shield on the right of the evangelist and beloved disciple, either the person who commissioned the work or its painter. A shield in gold, gules and black with a heart surmounted by the Holy Cross of Jerusalem with initials B, E, P, O.
Finally, we should note that an almost exactly similar panel, although not so dark in the background colour, with more light, with the same iconography, perhaps also by the same artist, is in the Pilgrimage Museum in Santiago de Compostela.
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Flemish School. 16th century.
‘Mary as the Gateway to Heaven. Allegory of the examination of conscience to achieve a Good Death’.
Oil on panel. Accompanied by an imposing carved and gilded wooden frame.
92 x 70 cm.
Magnificent panel depicting the final moment of a human being lying in the centre of the bottom of the composition, taking stock of his good and bad deeds, the examination of conscience of his life; a prayerful reflection on his thoughts, words and actions in the light of the Gospel to determine how he may have sinned against God and others. The artist must have been familiar with the theology of the time, as taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises, which taught: ‘at the end of the day, at the time of going to rest’ ‘to make a daily peaceful reflection on all that has happened [...] to find God in all things [...] even in those where God had apparently hidden himself’. 'The human conscience imagines its life at the ‘hour of eternal rest’.
The painter places Mary, the Gate of Heaven, at the centre, as the Mother of Mercy who always awaits with open hands on her heart. In Glory, the Holy Trinity awaits, God the reigning Father, the Suffering Son and the Holy Spirit who flies over everything and everyone. When contemplating this work, we see three differentiated levels, in which numbered phylacteries fly, like speech bubbles, which arrange the conversation. Above in the sky: Son (11) ‘PATER RESPICE VULNERA MEA...’ (‘Father, remember my wounds...’). And he also addresses his mother (14): ‘MATER MEA, FIAT TIBI SICUT VIS’ (‘My mother, let it be done as you will’). God the Father (12) ‘VENIT TEMPUS MISEREN DIEORUM’ (‘The hour has come for the miserable days’).
The Father, who addresses the Virgin and calls her Daughter: ‘FILIA FIAT TIBI SICUT VIS’ (‘Daughter, be it done as you will’). And the third from heaven is the Dove or Holy Spirit (1) ‘SPONSA FIAT TIBI SICUT VIS’ (‘Bride, be it as thou wilt’).
On the second level, horizontally speaking, and in the centre, the Virgin responds with three phylacteries (8): ‘PATER RESPICIE IN FACIEM CHRISTI’ (‘Father receive and look at the face of Christ’), (9) ‘FILI ASPICE UBERA QUAE TE LACTAVERUNT’ (‘Son, look at the breasts that suckled you’), and (10) ‘S. Se. DEUS ECCE QUOS AMAS INFIRMANTUR‘ (’God, Holy among the Saints, strengthen those you love"). The angels on the left, over which he prays: ‘PER HANC NOS AD DEUM’ (‘Through these, we go to God’), ask their Queen (7): ‘IUUA PUSILLANIMES, MARIA ANGELORUM REGINA’ (‘Mary, Queen of Angels, look upon the fainthearted youth’).
On the right are saints and the Church: Saints Peter and Paul, Popes and Holy Fathers, and Saint Peter the Martyr, among others. Above them: ‘PER HANC DEUS AD NOS’ (‘Through these, God goes to us’), and they respond to their Mother: ‘SU COURE MISERIS SANCTORUM MATER’ (‘Merciful Mother of Saints, attend this tribunal with your heart’).
On the earthly level, rests the conscience, lying in the form of a sick human being, who speaks to the Virgin (2): ‘MARIA, TU AB HOSTES PROTEGE ET HORA MORTIS SUSCIPE’ (‘Mary, protect yourself from the enemy and listen to the hour of death’). To which she replies from heaven (16): ‘CONFIDITE FILII, EXAUDITE EST ORATIO NOSTRA’. (‘Son of trust, hear our prayer’). And St. Michael the Archangel, who is named, brandishes his sword over the devil, and says to him (17): ‘IMPERET TIBI DEUS’ (‘God will annihilate you’). And that devil, who is leaning over the recumbent, says (1): ‘PECCAMUSTIS NON SPERETIS VENIAM’ (‘You must sin, do not expect forgiveness’).
To the left of the couch, is an angel looking up and praying (5): ‘OCURRITE ANGELI DOMINI’ (‘Angels of the Lord, come’). To the left of his wing we read ‘STOS’ (‘he who remains standing’).
To the right of the sick man Saint John the Evangelist (‘PROTECTOR’, behind him, above the shield) cries out: ‘SUB VENITE SANCTI DEI’ (‘Saints of God, come to him’). Two saints pray with the sick man, a Carmelite and an Augustinian, behind whom ‘death breathes, symbolised by the caravel waiting patiently with its shining dart’. The sick man communicates that he has had only one thought, of the fear of God (‘TIMOR DEI’), his whole life rests on the theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity (pillows), rests on his good works, thoughts and words (‘BONAE OPERA, BONAE COGITATIONIS, BONAE LOQUTIONES’), and rests on the cardinal virtues (legs of the bed) Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance.
The devil, who stalks the dying man, sticks out from under his bed, which raised on a platform covered with a valance: ‘CONFUNDANTUR QUI ME PERSEQUNTUR ET NON CONFUNDAR’ (‘Those who persecute me will be confused, and they will not confuse me’); while the dying man prays and speaks to all: ‘MISEREMINI NOSTRI SALTEM VOS, AMICI NOSTRI’ (‘At least, you, our friends, have mercy on us’).
All this theological life ‘has a face, an owner, a face, a family’, represented by the heraldic shield on the right of the evangelist and beloved disciple, either the person who commissioned the work or its painter. A shield in gold, gules and black with a heart surmounted by the Holy Cross of Jerusalem with initials B, E, P, O.
Finally, we should note that an almost exactly similar panel, although not so dark in the background colour, with more light, with the same iconography, perhaps also by the same artist, is in the Pilgrimage Museum in Santiago de Compostela.
Allegories, Legends and Holinesses
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Lots: 170
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