Triptych of the Lamentation (central panel): Lamentation over Christ’s death
Author: Unknown
Date: 16th century
Material: Oil on chestnut
Dimensions (cm): H 195 x W 149,5
Provenance: Guimarães, Colegiada de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira
Inventory No.: MAS P 3 (1/3)
This triptych has the Lamentation over Christ’s death as the main theme. On the central panel, and in the foreground, a group of men and women express their pain and suffering through their cry, their facial expression and the position of their hands. In this composition, there is an enactment that aims at moving the viewer and that may have been inspired by the mystery plays, popular theatrical representations of religious themes. As a background, and helping to identify the space, there is the depiction of the city of Jerusalem and of mount Calvary, which provide this painting with some depth and perspective.
The wings of this triptych [MAS P 3 (2/3) and MAS P 3 (3/3)] represent, on the left side, Saint Blaise with the child and, on the right side, Saint Jerome martyrizing himself. On the reverse panels, one can see an Annunciation.
This painting, of Flemish influence, is filled with symbolism and it’s an important testimony to the Portuguese art from the 16th century. According to Ignace Vandevivere and José Alberto Seabra, we are before the most singular iconography of the episode of the Lamentation known in Portugal. It is also worth highlighting the theatrical narrative composition and this master’s highly personal.
These two historians studied a small collection of paintings (MAS P 8, MAS P 11 and MAS PD 1), where this one is included. They all bear the same very personalized style of execution and several stylistic affinities that seem to indicate a common authorship: a Guimarães workshop that was active in the beginning of the 16th century with an interesting unknown master they chose to name Delirious Master of Guimarães.
Triptych of the Lamentation (left panel): Saint Blaise; Angel of the Annunciation
Author: Unknown
Date: 16th century
Material: Oil on chestnut
Dimensions (cm): H 182 x W 49,5
Provenance: Guimarães, Colegiada de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira
Inventory No.: MAS P 3 (2/3)
This triptych, whose main theme, represented in the central panel, is the Lamentation over Christ’s death, presents, in its left wing, a depiction of Saint Blaise vested as a bishop with mitre and a crosier and holding a book in his left hand. At his feet, there’s a male figure of a child with one of his hands on his throat. On the reverse side of this wing, the Angel of the Annunciation is depicted wearing a tunic with very creased drapery and having his wings open. He is surrounded by a phylactery with the words of salutation.
This painting, of Flemish influence, is filled with symbolism and it’s an important testimony to the Portuguese art from the 16th century.
Ignace Vandevivere and José Alberto Seabra studied a small collection of paintings (MAS P 8, MAS P 11 and MAS PD 1), where this one is included. They all bear the same very personalized style of execution and several stylistic affinities that seem to indicate a common authorship: a Guimarães workshop that was active in the beginning of the 16th century with an interesting unknown master they chose to name Delirious Master of Guimarães.
Triptych of the Lamentation (right panel): Saint Jerome; Virgin of the Annunciation
Author: Unknown
Date: 16th century
Material: Oil on chestnut
Dimensions (cm): H 182 x W 149,5
Provenance: Guimarães, Colegiada de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira
Inventory No.: MAS P 3 (3/3)
This triptych, whose main theme, represented in the central panel, is the Lamentation over Christ’s death, presents, on its right wing a depiction of Saint Jerome standing, with a stone in his hand and his chest lacerated in a landscape of rocks and hills. At his feet, there’s the cardinal’s hat. On the reverse of this wing, the Virgin of the Annunciation is depicted in the foreground, kneeled in front of a table, on which there’s an open book, with her head slightly raised and her hands crossed on the chest. A dove is hovering over her head. In the background, one can see a domestic interior with breaches and windows, and a niche with a vase of lilies.
This painting, of Flemish influence, is filled with symbolism and it’s an important testimony to the Portuguese art from the 16th century. Ignace Vandevivere and José Alberto Seabra studied a small collection of paintings (MAS P 8, MAS P 11 and MAS PD 1), where this one is included. They all bear the same very personalized style of execution and several stylistic affinities that seem to indicate a common authorship: a Guimarães workshop that was active in the beginning of the 16th century with an interesting unknown master they chose to name Delirious Master of Guimarães.