Something Strange Is Happening Today -- The Lord Jesus Is Breaking Down the Gates of Hell

Pseudo-Jacquemart, The Harrowing of Hell

From the Petites Heures of Jean de Berry

French (Bourges), c. 1385-1390

Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France

MS Latin 18014, fol. 166r

The Apostles Creed, prayed by virtually every Christian denomination that uses a creed, says of Jesus the "He descended into hell" following His death and before the Resurrection. 

The fact that this subject is found in the Apostles Creed testifies to its early appearance in Christian belief, as does the Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday, which is a reading from the Divine Office for Holy Saturday.  

This beautiful reading, part of the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for Holy Saturday states:

"Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell.

The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity."1

This belief is that during the time between His death on the Cross and the Resurrection, Jesus descended to limbo to free the souls of the previously deceased just who were confined in waiting there.  Limbo is a place of darkness and peace, but not of the Presence of God, which had been lost through Original Sin.   Their souls were confined to limbo because they had been barred from entering heaven by Adam's sin, but they were set free by Christ's saving death.  For them He truly became the Key of David, breaking down the walls of death and leading the captives to freedom and joy.  

There is a long tradition of images in art illustrating this subject. 

In the East the tradition culminates in the dramatic and dynamic Anastasis of the church of Saint Saviour in Chora in Istanbul, in which Christ seems to drag Adam and Eve from their graves.  

Anastasis (The Harrowing of Hell)
Byzantine, c. 1316-1321
Istanbul, Church of Saint Saviour in Chora

In the West the image appears in the Klosterneuberg Altarpiece by Nicholas of Verdun, as well as in many paintings.

Nicholas of Verdun, Harrowing of Hell

Mosan (Meuse region), 1181

Klosterneuberg Austria, Klosterneuberg Priory

There are two distinct types of iconography that apply to most of these images. In one, Christ breaks down actual gates, which are often shown thrown to the ground or hanging off their hinges.  

The Harrowing of Hell
From the Psalter of Christina of Markyate_
English (St. Alban's), c. 1124-1145
Hildesheim, Dombibliothek
Page 49

Workshop of Duccio, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, c. 1308-1311
Siena, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

Giotto Workshop, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, c. 1320-1325
Munich, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek

Fra Angelico, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, c. 1437-1445
Florence, Museo di San Marco

Master of the Osservanza, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, c. 1445
Cambridge (MA), Fogg Museum

In the other, Christ leads or sometimes drags the souls of the dead from the 'mouth of hell', shown as the jaws of a whale-like monster or from a cave that resembles an open mouth.

The Harrowing of Hell
From Miniatures of the Life of Christ
French (Northern), c. 1170-1180
New York, Pierpont Morgan Library
MS M 44, fol. 11v

Andrea da Firenze, The Harrowing of Hell

Italian, c. 1365-1368

Florence, Santa Maria Novella, Capella Spagnuolo

Alabaster Relief, The Harrowing of Hell
English, c. 1440-1470
London, Victoria and Albert Museum

Luca Penni, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, c. 1547-1548
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

In both types He carries the staff, topped with a cross or with a pennant bearing a cross, that is His banner of victory over death.

Later images show Christ dragging the souls of the just from a more generalized image of a limbo jammed with just souls in waiting.  In these images the iconography of the gates or the mouth of hell is not as emphasized as in the earlier images.

The Harrowing of Hell
From a Book of Homilies
German (Lower Rhine), c. 1320-1350
Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum
MS W. 148, fol. 21r

Friedrich Pacher, The Harrowing of Hell
German, c. 1460s
Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts

Andrea Mantegna, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, 1468
Private Collection 

Agnolo Bronzino, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, 1552
Florence, Church of Santa Croce

Tintoretto, The Harrowing of Hell
Italian, 1568
Venice, Church of San Cassiano

© M. Duffy, 2023, 2024

1.  Office of Readings, Holy Saturday.  Source is:  Patrologiae cursus completus ...: Series graeca. Edited by Jacques Paul Migne, France, 1864, Volume 4, Section 43, "Seven Homilies", Paragraphs 440-463, "Sancto et magno Sabbato".

November, Month of Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory

Souls in Purgatory Asking for Prayers
German, 19th Century
Private Collection

In 2023 I republished this earlier article about Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory because I  found a substantial number of new images, especially in the sub-sections on the souls in Purgatory,  the intercession of the saints and the power of Christ's sacrifice in freeing souls from Purgatory.

For Catholics, the month of November has traditionally been a month of prayer for the souls of the deceased, often known as the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It begins with the feast of All Souls, which is celebrated in the Catholic liturgical calendar on November 2. This immediately follows the November 1 feast of All Saints, reminding us that the Church is composed of three distinct groups: those currently living on earth, the saints in heaven and the souls undergoing purification in Purgatory.

In this month the Church remembers and prays for all the deceased who have received their initial (or particular) judgment at death and who were found to have lived lives of imperfection, not bad enough to warrant the eternal damnation of Hell, but not perfect enough as yet to enter Heaven. They still have some way to go on their journey to the perfect holiness of Heaven. These are, I believe, the conditions that most of humanity faces at death. We bear with us some of the residual taint for our sins, small and great, that have already been pardoned, somewhat like fine sand sticks to wet skin and needs to be brushed or washed off after we leave the beach.

The Souls in Purgatory

The state of being (not a place, per se) where this cleansing happens is known as Purgatory. There, the souls, divested of their earthly form, experience some kind of purgation. This has traditionally been regarded as a cleansing fire that purifies in the manner of the purification of metal, which is smelted to remove impurities that would weaken it. 1

While it is a “place” of purgation, Purgatory is not, however, a place of tortures and despair, like Hell. Every soul confined there knows that it is bound for Heaven once purified. The souls in Purgatory, although suffering, remain filled with hope and even joy, accepting their state as necessary for their salvation and offering prayers. As part of the Communion of Saints they can be assisted by the prayers of the living and by the intercession of those in Heaven. 2

Two Souls in Purgatory

From a Book of Hours

Dutch (Zwolle), c. 1470

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 76 G 28, fol. 115r

This forms the background for the ways in which the Souls in Purgatory are depicted by artists. Artists have been very careful not to confuse their depictions of Purgatory with their depictions of Hell. Even when showing the purgative fires, the attitude of the souls bears witness to the hope and joy with which they accept their state, or plead for the prayers of the living to assist them. Angels bring them comfort and encouragement in some pictures and, very frequently, are shown in the act of releasing souls whose purgation is completed.

You will undoubtedly notice that in almost all of the pictures that include them, the souls are shown as naked. This is a reminder that 1) as we came into the world with no covering but our skin, so will we depart it and 2) worldly rank and position, though occasionally depicted by headgear, are totally irrelevant to the fate of our souls. The rich cannot buy themselves into heaven with their finery and the poverty of the poor cannot bar them from eternal happiness.

Masters of the Dark Eyes, Angels Releasing Souls from Purgatory

From a Book of Hours

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 76 G , fol. 171r

These pictures most frequently appeared in the Books of Hours, the principal prayer book for the laity. Books of Hours offered the laity the opportunity to pray throughout the day in the same way that the Divine Office provided for priests and monks. Many Books of Hours included special Hours for the Dead. These Hours for the Dead were a series of special prayers to assist the dead in their trials in Purgatory. The earliest pictures of Purgatory come from them and the themes presented in some of the earliest images continued to hold the imagination of artists right through time into the nineteenth century. They uniformly urge the living to pray for the dead to assist them to attain heaven.

The Sufferings of the Souls in Purgatory

They manner in which souls expiate the leftover effects of their sins is not defined. As stated above, there is in both Scripture and tradition some evidence for some kind of fire. However, it remains a mystery and will remain so for us, until the day we find ourselves there. So artists and poets have found different answers to the question.

A Soul Caught in Ice

From the Pelerinage de l'âme by Guillaume de Digulleville

Franch (Rennes), c. 1425-1450

Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France

MS Francais 376, fol. 114v

A Soul Chained to a Chest

From the Pelerinage de l'âme by Guillaume de Digulleville

Franch (Rennes), c. 1425-1450

Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France

MS Francais 376, fol. 115r

A Pair of Souls in the Fire of Purgatory

French, Early 16th Century

Private Collection

Souls in Purgatory
German, First Half of 17th Century
Baumburg, Church of Saint Margaret

Giovanni Bernardino Azzolino, A Soul in the Fire of Purgatory

Italian, c. 1620-1630

London, Victoria and Albert Museum

Franz Xaver Schmaedl, Souls in Purgatory
German, 1747
Dietramszell, Church of the Assumption

Studio of Johann Peter Schwanthaler the Elder, Poor Souls in Purgatory

Austrian, c. 1750-1795

Private Collection

*Attributed to Johann Peter Schwanthaler, the Elder, A Poor Soul in Purgatory
Austrian, Second Half of the 18th Century
Private Collection

A Word About Dante's Vision of Purgatory

As part of his trilogy poem The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri included Purgatory. It forms the content of the second book, Purgatorio. His view of the sufferings of the souls in Purgatory is quite different.

In his vision Purgatory is not a lake or river of fire, it is a mountain, ringed with seven ridges. As one ascends the mountain and passes through each ridge the Seven Deadly Sins are purged away by penalties appropriate to the sin of that ridge. Each ridge also includes several examples of the corresponding Seven Virtues.

• At the bottom of the mountain the souls of the recently dead who are saved but not purged approach the angelic gatekeeper to begin their upward journey.

• On the first ridge, we see the proud bowed beneath large rocks that keep them in a position which enables them to see sculptured reliefs illustrating the opposing virtue of humility on the ground under their feet.

• On the second ridge, the envious sit with their eyes sewn shut, since it was through their eyes that they looked enviously on their fellow humans. Here the virtue is that of generosity.

• On the third, the wrathful wander about through smoke, representing the blindness that came upon them through their anger. The opposing virtue is meekness.

• On the fourth, the slothful run with urgency. The opposite virtue here is zeal.

• On the fifth, the greedy and the spendthrifts lie motionless, unable to move or help themselves. The opposing virtue is charity.

• On the sixth, the gluttons stand before trees laden with fruit that they cannot reach. Temperance is the corresponding virtue.

• On the seventh, the lustful pass through fire, representing the effects of their sin on the psyche. Chastity is the virtue here.

• At the top of the mountain, a man and woman who have passed through all the ridges have regained the original purity of Adam and Eve before the Fall and are now ready to advance into Paradise.

The most famous, and perhaps one of the only, images of this idea is found in the background of a 1465 fresco by Domenico di Michelino, called "Dante Illuminating Florence With His Poem" it shows each of the three states that form the poem: Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.

Domenico di Michelino, Dante Illuminating Florence With His Poem

Italian, 1465

Florence, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

In this picture Michelino has shown each of the levels of Mount Purgatory and the penance attached it it.

Domenico di Michelino, Dante Illuminating Florence (detail of Purgatory)

Italian, 1465

Florence, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

But, even on this mountain the souls pray as they perform their penances and are released from their sufferings by the prayers of others. When this happens, according to Dante, the whole mountain expresses great joy and the released soul rises up from its current penance and hurries to the next level to take on the penance for the next sin that needs to have its residue taken away. Everything is joyful. When the soul finally reaches the summit of the hill, the earthly paradise, the native state of sinlessness of Adam and Eve before the fall, they bathe in the river Lethe, which brings forgetfulness and is the final cleansing before their ascent to Heaven. After bathing, they remember the fact of their sins, but not the sense of failure and shame associated with them. This done, they are ready to be with God forever.

The Souls Offering Prayers While in Purgatory

One thing that everyone seems to agree on is that the souls spend their time praying. They cannot pray for themselves, but it is thought that they may pray for those still living or they may pray to the Virgin Mary or the saints for their intercession or they may pray simply to glorify God. Whatever their object can be, they are frequently seen in attitudes of prayer. In fact, it is this prayerful attitude and the joy frequently expressed on their faces that can help determine if a scene of souls surrounded by flames refers to Purgatory or to Hell, for there is no joy or prayer in Hell.

Master of the Modena Hours, The Liberation of Souls from Purgatory and Their Reception in Heaven by God

From a Missal

Italian (Milan), c. 1390-1400

The Hague, Meermano Museum

MS MMW 10 A16, fol. 224v

Master of Zweder van Columborg, Souls Praying in Purgatory

From a Book of Hours

Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1425

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 133 M 131, fol. 196v

*Masters of Zweder van Culemborg, Souls in Purgatory Praying
From the Missal of Eberhard von Greiffenklau
Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1425-1450
Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum
MS W.174, fol. 168v

Gethsemane Master sand Master Azor, Souls in Purgatory Praying

From a Dutch Book of Hours

Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1430

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 131 G 3, fol. 172r

Follower of Master Azor, Souls in Purgatory

From a Book of Hours

Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1430-1450

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 135 J 50, fol. 240v

Souls in Purgatory

From a Book of Hours

Flemish, c. 1470-1490

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KV 131 G 5, fol. 144r

Master of the Dark Eyes, Souls in Purgatory

From a Prayer Book

Dutch, c. 1490-1500

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 135 E 19, fol. 28v

Master of the Dark Eyes, Purgatory

From a Book of Hours

Flemish, c. 1490-1500

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 76 F31, fol. 138r

+Matthias Wolcker, Praying Soul in Purgatory
German, 1733
Bertoldshofen, Church of Saint Michael

Intercession for the Souls by the Living

The living are able to pray for the souls in Purgatory and are urged to do so. One can pray from the Office of the Dead, which was part of the popular Books of Hours prayer books, and is the source of many of the images depicted here). The best form of prayer for the souls is to offer a Mass for that intention.

Praying for Souls in Purgatory

From the Pelerinage de l'âme by Guillaume de Digulleville

French (Rennes), c. 1425-1450

Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France

MS Francais 376, fol. 110v

The soul in Purgatory is about to receive some comfort from the prayers of the woman.

The Divine Economy

From a Book of Hours

Flemish, c. 1480-1500

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek

MS KB 133 D 5, fol. 86v

Jacques de Besancon, Purgatory
From the Legenda aurea by Jacobus de Voragine
French (Paris), c. 1480-1490
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 245, fol. 162r

Melchior Puchner, A Monk Urging Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory
German, c. 1737-1738
Fischbachau, Church of Saint Martin

Giuseppe Cades, Blessed Francis Venimbeni, Celebrating Mass for the Souls in Purgatory

Italian, c. 1750-1799

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Intercession for the Souls by the Virgin Mary and the Saints

Pictures depicting the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and of many different saints forms the largest group of pictures related to Purgatory. This is not surprising. For, if the prayers of individual, living persons can assist the souls, how much more powerful will be the intercession of those people who are already acknowledged to have lived holy lives and to be with God in heaven. Therefore, in addition to offering their own prayers for the Holy Souls, Catholics have also resorted to asking the intercession of the saints for them.

Angels Petitioning God on Behalf of Souls

From Pelerinage de l'âme by Guilllaume de Digulleville

Franch (Rennes), c. 1425-1450

Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France

MS Francais 376, fol. 111v

Intercession by Mary Releases a Soul from Purgatory

German, c. 1450-1550

Macclesfield, Cheshire (UK), West Park Museum

Pedro Machuca, The Virgin Intercedes for the Souls in Purgatory

Spanish, 1517

Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado

Saint Francis Interceding for Souls in Purgatory

Italian, 17th-18th Century

San Pietro in Lama, Santa Maria della Croce

Frans Francken II, The Virgin and Saints Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory

Flemish, c. 1600-1642

Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts graphiques

Alonso Cano, The Virgin Interceding for Souls in Purgatory

Spanish, c. 1601-1667

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ludovico Carracci, The Virgin and Child Freeing Souls in Purgatory

Italian, c. 1610

Vatican City, Pinacoteca

Giovanni Battista Crespi, Saint Gregory the Great Delivering the Soul of a Monk from Purgatory

Italian, 1617

Varese, Church of San Vittore

Rubens Workshop, Saint Teresa of Avila Interceding for Souls in Purgatory

Flemish, c. 1630-1633

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Philippe de Champaigne, The Virgin Mary and Other Saints Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory

Flemish, c. 1650

Toulouse, Musée des Augustins

Luca Giordano, The Virgin and Child Listen to the Prayers of the Souls in Purgatory

Italian, c. 1650

Venice, Church of San Pietro di Castell

Antonio Franchi, Saints Teresa of Avila and Dominic Interceding with the Madonna and Child for the Souls in Purgatory
Italian, 1677
Montopoli in Val d'Arno, Church of Our Lady

Michael Christoph Grabenberger, An Abbot Saint with the Office of the Dead and Souls in Purgatory

German, c. 1682-1683

Garsten (AUT), Garsten Abbey Church of the Assumption

Pietro Antonio de' Pietris, The Virgin, Saint Joseph and Saint Anthony of Padua Interceding

for Souls in Purgatory

Italian, 1694

Philadelphia, Museum of Art

Giovanni Odazzi, Saint Gregory the Great Interceding for Souls in Purgatory

Italian, c. 1700

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Virgin Mary and Saints Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory

Italian, 17th-18th Century

Tuscania, Church of Santa Maria della Rosa

Franz Hagen, Soul Released from Purgatory Through the Intercession of the Virgin Mary
German, c. 1716-1717
Neuburg, Former Jesuit School

Saint Francis Interceding with Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception for Souls in Purgatory

Italian, 1722

Galatone, Chiesa Matrice

Johann Georg Bergmüller, Saints Lawrence, Vitus, Ursula and Barbara Petitioning the Madonna and Child for the Souls in Purgatory
German, c. 1723
Donauwoerth, Church of the Holy Cross

Sebastiano Ricci, Saint Gregory the Great Interceding for Souls in Purgatory

Italian, c. 1730

Berlin, Gemäldegalerie der Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Francesco Fontebasso after Sebastiano Ricci, Pope Gregory the Great and Saint Vitale

Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory

Italian, c. 1731

Washington, National Gallery of Art

This drawing shows how one artist's idea and composition can be adapted by another for a slightly different reading. Fontebasso adds San Vitale to the petition, presumably to please a different patron.

Michel Francois Dandre-Bardon, Saint James and Two Bishop Saints Interceding Before the

Virgin in Favor of the Souls in Purgatory

French, c. 1742-1745

Dijon, Musée Magnin

Circle of Sebastiano Conca, Souls Petitioning the Madonna and Child
Italian, 1748
Auctioned at Christie's Aprl 2009

The Virgin Mary, Saints Dominic and Catherine of Siena Intercede for the Souls in Purgatory
German (Swabian), c. 1750
Violau, Church of Saint Michael

Joseph Sebasitan Klauber after Gottfried Bernhard Goez, Christ Explains Need for Prayer for Souls to Saint Mary of Oignies
From Annus Dierum Sanctorum
German, c. 1750
Unknown Locayion

_Joseph Sebasitan Klauber after Gottfried Bernhard Goez, Saint Christina Praying for Souls
From Annus Dierum Sanctorum
German, c. 1750
Unknown Location

Johann Georg Kapfer, Saint Simon Stock Receiving the Scapular from the Virgin and Child While Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory
German, c. 1754
Bamburg, Church of Saint Margaretha, Chapel of the Scapular Confraternity

Johann Jakob Zeiller, Intercession by the Saints for the Souls in Purgatory
German, c. 1757-1760
Ottobeuren, Church of Saints Theodore and Alexander

Joseph Hartmann, Saints Dominic and Catherine of Siena Petition the Madonna and Child for the Release of Souls in Purgatory
German, 1763
Rott am Inn, Church of Saints Marinus and Anianus

Charles Nicolas Cochin II, The Risen Christ Appearing to Souls in Purgatory

French, 1782

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

*Prospero Mallerini, The Virgin and Child, with Saints Anthony of Padua and Roch of Montpellier Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory
Italian, 1797
Cannara, Church of San Matteo

Angelic Encouragement

In these pictures angels are depicted as offering encouragement to the souls in Purgatory. They encourage them with actions and exhortations.

Angels Encourage Souls in Purgatory

from Tafel van den Kersten Ghelove

Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1400-1415

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library

MS M 691, fol 207r

Here angels assist the souls by sprinkling them with holy water and praying rosaries for them.

Around 1610 Rubens prepared a sketch of the souls in purgatory which provided the basis for many compositions, by his studio (see, for instance, the work by his studio of Saint Teresa of Avila Interceding with Christ for the Souls in Purgatory, above) and by others.

After Peter Paul Rubens, Purgatory with Symbol of the Trinity

Flemish, c.1610-1650

London, Trustees of the British Museum

Here the angels direct the souls to the symbol of the Trinity.

Cornelis Galle I after Peter Paul Rubens, Purgatory with the Symbol of the Holy Name of Jesus

Flemish, c. 1610-1650

London, Trustees of the British Museum

Here a reversed engraving of the same group of souls are directed to the symbol for the Holy Name of Jesus.

Cornelis Galle I after Peter Paul Rubens, Purgatory with the Symbol for the Holy Name of Jesus

Flemish, c. 1610-1650

London, British Museum

Here Galle has taken the same group of souls but added many more, plus more angels, clouds, etc.

Schelte Adamszoon Bolswert after Peter Paul Rubens, Soul in Purgatory Praying for Mercy

Dutch, c. 1630-1678

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum

This print maker has isolated the prominent female figure from Rubens composition and modified it slightly, personalizing it in a new way.

Charles Le Brun, Two Angels Visiting the Souls in Purgatory

French, c. 1650

Paris, Musée du Louvre, Cabinet des dessins

Even Charles LeBrun shows references to the Rubens composition, in spite of swinging the design to the side and mirroring it with variations.

Angelic Rescues

This was a particularly popular image for a very long time. In these pictures we see the effect of the prayers of the living and the intercession of the saints, as souls are freed from Purgatory by angels.

Jean le Noir and Workshop, Angels Rescuing Souls from Purgatory
From the Breviary of Charles V
French (Paris), c.1364-1370
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 1052, fol. 556v

Angel Freeing a Soul from Purgatory

German woodcut, 15th Century

Cleveland, Museum of Art

Angels Releasing Souls from Purgatory

German, c. 1438-1453

Nuremberg, Church of Saint Sebald

Workshop of Stefan Lochner, Souls in Purgatory About to Be Freed by Angels

From a Prayer Book

German, c. 1444

Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin

Master of Coetivy, Purgatory

From The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

French (Paris), c. 1460-1465

Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France

MS Italien 72, fol. 30r

Jean Colombe, Angels Freeing Souls from Purgatory

From the Hours of Anne of France

French (Bourges), 1473

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library

MS M 677, fol. 329r

Jean Colombe, Angels Freeing Souls from Purgatory

From the Hours of Anne of France

French (Bourges), 1473

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library

MS M 677, fol. 250v

The two pictures above from the Hours of Anne of France appear to show the distinction between Purgatory and Hell. Purgatory, in these images is the tower of fire from which angels are taking souls away. Hell, on the other hand, is the area outside the towers, where demons inflict severe punishments on souls. It is a dark and cold place, more in line with the thought of Dante, in his Inferno, than with the typical "fire and brimstone".

Masters of Hugo Janszoon van Woerden, Angels Bring Redeemed Souls to Christ

From a Book of Hours

Dutch (Leyden), c. 1480-1500

The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheque

MS KB 132 G 37, fol. 45v

Jean Colombe, Resurrection of the Dead and Liberation of the Souls in Purgatory

From the Tres Riches Heures of the Duke of Berry

French, c. 1485-1489

Chantilly, Musée Condé

Ms 65, fol. 113v

Angels Freeing Souls from Purgatory

From a Book of Hours

French (Amiens), c. 1486-1500

Private Collection

Angels Delivering Souls from Purgatory

Single Page from a Manuscript

Spanish, 16rh Century

Private Collection

Johann Michael Rottmayr, Angels Freeing Souls from Purgatory

German, c. 1704-1706

Breslau, Church of Saint Mathias

Joseph Roques, A Soul Freed from Purgatory

French, c. 1801-1825

Toulouse, Musée des Augustins

The Power of Christ’s Sacrifice

The most theologically sophisticated images are those that depict the effect of God's intervention in human history through the birth of Jesus Christ and His ultimate sacrifice, death and resurrection. These images present their subject in the form of allegory and symbol, not so much in the concrete way of other images which ask for prayer or demonstrate the effect of prayer. As we have seen above with other variations on the theme of the release of souls from Purgatory, there are sometimes strong references to the Mass and to the Eucharist, the living, eternal link between Christ's sacrifice and the viewer's moment in time.

Follower of Jean Pichore, The Annunciation and the Effects on Purgatory and Hell

From a Book of Hours

French (Paris), c. 1490-1500

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library

MS M 7, fol. 5r

This shows the effect of the Annunciation, of Mary's yes to God's request on the souls in Purgatory and on those in Hell. The memory of her yes and its result heartens those in Purgatory and drives the demons in Hell to fresh acts of cruelty.

Goswijn van der Weyden, Fons Pietatis

Flemish, c. 1500

Götenborg (SV), Götenborg Konstmuseum

Here we see the effects of Christ's Blood, dispensed to the Souls in Purgatory by angels. The Virgin Mary is also interceding for them. If you look closely to an enlargement (click on the picture) you can see that her left hand points down toward them, while her right holds her breast, reminding her Son that she sustained His human life at its beginnings, as she prays for the souls below.

Jean Bellegame, The Mystic Bath

French, c. 1500-1525

Lille, Musée des Beaux-Arts

Another example of the effect of Christ's Sacrifice. Souls are rejuvenated by it as they arrive from Purgatory (glimpsed on the left behind the main figures).

Jacob Corneliszoon van Oostsanen, Mass of Saint Gregory

Dutch, c. 1500

Auctioned at Christie's, London, July 2013

At first sight this looks like a perfectly normal painting of the Mass of Saint Gregory (in which Christ appeared at the consecration of the host as the suffering Man of Sorrows). However, there is one unusual element here, which presents a more refined way of looking at the miraculous event. Beneath the altar, unseen by Saint Gregory or any of the painted onlookers, we are given a view of the souls in Purgatory who are pleading to receive the effects of the Sacrifice of the Mass, the continuing resonance from Christ's own sacrifice.

Souls Released from Purgatory by the Power of Christ's Blood
From the Hours of Antoine le Bon
French (Lorraine), 1533
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition latine 302, fol. 58r

The text written on the cross bar of the Cross reads: "Lavit nos in sanguine suo" or "He washed us in His blood".   This makes the image explicit as it refers to the saving power of the Blood of Christ which is the source that obtains release of the souls being rescued by angels.

The Death of Christ Redeems Souls from Purgatory

Italian, 17th Century

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

This image is one of the kind I call "The Sorrow of God".  This is a Trinitarian image in which God the Father holds the body of the dead Christ and offers it to the viewer.  In this case He presents it to the souls in Purgatory as the price paid for their redemption.

School of Alonso Cano, Souls in Purgatory Liberated by the Cross

Spanish, c. 1650

Detroit, Institute of Arts

Here the saving power of Christ's sacrifice is represented by the unadorned cross.

The Blood of Christ Freeing Souls in Purgatory

German, 1696

Füssen, Church of Saint Sebastian

In this anonymous altarpiece of the Holy Trintiy, blood pours from the wounded side of Christ into a golden chalic held by two small angels. The cup overflows and the blood falls on the souls in Purgatory. On the left, the Virgin Mary offers rosary beads to the souls, with help from other angels. (The disconnected arms at the far right and far left appear to belong to statues which stand in front of this altarpiece.

Johann Vicelli II, Christ's Blood Frees the Souls in Purgatory Through the Intercession of Saints Lawrence, Philip, Jude, James the Less and John the Baptist

German, 1706

Elback, Church of Saint Andrew

Cosmas Damian Asam, Saint Luitgard of Tongern Exchanges Her Heart with the Crucified Christ While Her Intercession Frees Innocent III from Purgatory and Angels Distribute Eucharistic Hosts to Other Souls

German, 1731

Fürstenfeldbruck, Kloster Fürstenfeld

This picture packs in a lot of iconographic themes. At first glance it seems a somewhat straightforward reference to the intercession of a saint for souls in Purgatory, but it is more than that. While Saint Luitgard exchanges her heart for the blood spouting from the pierced side of the Crucified Christ the soul of Pope Innocent III is released from Purgatory and begins his ascent toward heaven, accompanied by the papal tiara and the keys of the kingdom in the upper left of the picture. However, the most important feature of the painting may be the action at the bottom and middle of the left side. Here a grown up angel holds a platter containing a prayer book and rosary beads while pointing to the Crucified Christ. Below him/her (it's hard to tell with angels) an infant angel holds a chalice from which the consecrated Hosts (Christ's Body) shower down on souls still remaining in Purgatory. I can't think of a clearer manifestation of the relationship between the sacrifice of Christ and the prayers of the faithful in directing the fruits of that sacrifice through prayer to the release of souls from Purgatory.

Anonymous, The Fifteenth Station, Mary Petitions for the Souls in Purgatory

German (Swabian), Middle of the 18th Century

Maihingen, Abbey Church of Mary Immaculate

This is a very unusual image. It bears an identifier as the Fifteenth Station (of the Cross). However, the Stations of the Cross are composed of only fourteen Stations. Therefore, this is more of a meditation on the effects of Christ's suffering dispersed to aid the souls in Purgatory through the prayers offered by the faithful through means of the Stations of the Cross. In the image we see the sorrowing Virgin Mary kneeling at the foot of a cross on which are displayed the Five Wounds of Christ (hands and feet and heart), all of which drip blood. She is interceding for the Souls in Purgatory, shown as it were inside the hill of Mount Calvary. The Blood from the Five Wounds drops on the hill and, therefore, on the Souls below. The banner at the bottom of the image tells us that through the fourteen stations of the Cross ("Via Crucis sive XIV Stationes")we release the graces for which Christ suffered ("Domini Nostri Jesu Christi pro nobis passi").

A Votive Image of the Souls in Purgatory Liberated by the Prayers of the Saints Before the Blessed Sacrament

Alpine Region, Early 19th Century

Private Collection

Franz Xaver Glink, The Virgin Mary and Saint Peter Intercede for the Souls in Purgatory Through the Eucharist Offered for Them

German, c. 1850-1873

Munich, Church of Saint Peter

The display case in front of this altarpiece contains representations of the Instruments of the Passion, reinforcing the idea that the sufferings of Christ and the celebration of the Eucharist that takes place at the altar are the sources of liberation for the souls in Purgatory.



At the beginning of the month of the Holy Souls it seems a good idea to take a few minutes to pray as the Church has long prayed, for the dead, those whom we knew and loved and, perhaps most especially, for those we never knew who may have no one to pray on their behalf.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. (Traditional prayer for the Dead.)



© M. Duffy, 2017, updated with new material and images, 2023.

2024, selected images were updated and a few new ones added.

+ Indicates a renewed image.

* Indicates a new image.

1. As for instance, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 “If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one's work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.” This is as St. Paul urges his readers to be sure that the lives they build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, will be true ones, for otherwise, they will have to endure a testing by fire.
2. More about the Communion of Saints can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part I, Section 2, Chapter 3, Article 9, Paragraph 5, Numbers 946-962 (link http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2B.HTM)