Pentecost

Author: Unknown

Date: 1540 – 1550

Material: Oil on chestnut

Dimensions (cm): H 127 x W 121,8

Provenance: Guimarães, chapel of the old Casa do Senado

Owner: Guimarães, Câmara Municipal de Guimarães

Inventory No.: MAS PD 2

 

The theme of this painting is based on the biblical text of the Acts of the Apostles, where it is mentioned that, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit, in the shape of tongues of fire, descends upon the apostles’ heads, inspiring them, endowing them with wisdom and making them speak diverse languages. In this painting emphasis has been given to the Virgin who is positioned in the center, sitting with a book on her lap. Surrounding her, there are sixteen figures, twelve of whom represent the apostles and three other the Holy Women. The figures of Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Peter and of Saint Mary Magdalene stand out.

Finally, there’s a man that is depicted wearing the habit of knight of the Order of Christ but the Holy Spirit doesn’t descend upon him – this is Baltazar Vieira de Carvalho, who was a judge of the Royal Bench and who probably commissioned this painting for the old Paços do Concelho (City Hall) of Guimarães.

Already following the new aesthetic propositions of Mannerism, this piece is very interesting for its deliberate distortions of perspective, warm chromatism and nervous tension of the poses although with inventive limits that betray a regional artist.