Trinity with the Virgin and St John and symbols of the four Evangelists
Relief
late 15th century (made)
late 15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This relief represents the Trinity with the Virgin and St John and symbols of the four Evangelists. It is made in England in the late 15th century.
This unusually large panel, which probably formed the centre of an altarpiece, has a canopy of cusped arches and finials which is an integral part of the panel.
The carving of alabaster, mostly quarried in Tutbury and Chellaston near Nottingham, took on industrial proportions in England between the middle of the 14th and the early 16th centuries. The market for altarpieces and smaller devotional images was a large one. It included not only religious foundations but also the merchant classes. Many hundreds of English alabasters were exported, some as far afield as Iceland and Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Alabaster - a form of gypsum - is a comparatively soft material and is therefore easy to carve. It can also be polished. Its natural colour was especially useful for the representation of faces and flesh, which would normally remain unpainted.
This unusually large panel, which probably formed the centre of an altarpiece, has a canopy of cusped arches and finials which is an integral part of the panel.
The carving of alabaster, mostly quarried in Tutbury and Chellaston near Nottingham, took on industrial proportions in England between the middle of the 14th and the early 16th centuries. The market for altarpieces and smaller devotional images was a large one. It included not only religious foundations but also the merchant classes. Many hundreds of English alabasters were exported, some as far afield as Iceland and Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Alabaster - a form of gypsum - is a comparatively soft material and is therefore easy to carve. It can also be polished. Its natural colour was especially useful for the representation of faces and flesh, which would normally remain unpainted.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Trinity with the Virgin and St John and symbols of the four Evangelists (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Alabaster |
| Brief description | Relief, alabaster, The Trinity with the Virgin and St John and symbols of the Four Evangelists, England, late 15th century |
| Physical description | The Holy Trinity with the Virgin and St John and symbols of the Four Evangelists, alabaster relief. The crowned figure of God the Father with a forked beard and wearing a gown is in the centre of the panel, his hands raised in a blessing. Between his knees is the figure of the Crucified Christ, and at the base of the Cross is an angel holding a chalice to collect the blood; two flying angels hold chalices either side for the same purpose. A Dove carved at the top of the Cross is a modern addition. The bareheaded and youthful figure of the Virgin wearing a small crown stands on the left of the panel, while on the right is the beardless figure of St John the Evangelist holding a book in his left hand. The symbols of the Four Evangelists are with scrolls are carved in the four corners of the panel (the winged man, St Matthew upper left, the ox, St Luke, upper right, the eagle, St John lower left, the lion, St Mark, lower right). Two censing angels stand on pedestals either side of God the Father. Above all of this is a canopy of cusped arches and finials. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA |
| Object history | Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh, F. S. A., 1952. |
| Historical context | This relief probably formed the centre of an altarpiece. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This relief represents the Trinity with the Virgin and St John and symbols of the four Evangelists. It is made in England in the late 15th century. This unusually large panel, which probably formed the centre of an altarpiece, has a canopy of cusped arches and finials which is an integral part of the panel. The carving of alabaster, mostly quarried in Tutbury and Chellaston near Nottingham, took on industrial proportions in England between the middle of the 14th and the early 16th centuries. The market for altarpieces and smaller devotional images was a large one. It included not only religious foundations but also the merchant classes. Many hundreds of English alabasters were exported, some as far afield as Iceland and Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Alabaster - a form of gypsum - is a comparatively soft material and is therefore easy to carve. It can also be polished. Its natural colour was especially useful for the representation of faces and flesh, which would normally remain unpainted. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.1-1952 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | February 25, 2004 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
