 |
| +Alberto Galli, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Italian, 1913 New York, Church of St. Jean Baptiste |
“It does not follow because it is
our special office to honor the Eucharist that we should lessen our devotion to
the Blessed Virgin. Far from it.
He
would be truly displeasing to Jesus, who should say:
' The Eucharist is enough for me; I do not need Mary.' Where do we find
Jesus upon earth? Is it not in the arms of Mary? Is it
not she who has given us the Blessed Eucharist? It was her acquiescence in the
Incarnation of the Son of God — the Divine Word — that began the great mystery
of reparation to God and of the union with us that Jesus accomplished during
His mortal life, and that He continues in the Eucharist. The more we love the Eucharist,
the more we shall love Mary. We love what our friend loves, and where is a creature
so loved by God, a mother so tenderly loved by a son, as Mary was by Jesus?
If we owe reverence to Jesus, we
owe it to Mary also. If we adore Him, we must honor her, and to correspond to, as
well as to enter fully into, the graces of our vocation, we owe to Mary a
special devotion as to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.”1
Saint Peter Julian Eymard to members of his Society
On May 13, 2017 the world watched as Pope Francis
canonized the two youngest children of the Fatima apparitions of 1917,
Francisco and Jacinta Marto on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13th. However, May 13th is also another,
equally important, but little known feast of Our Lady. It is the feast of Our Lady of the Blessed
Sacrament, instituted on May 13, 1868 by Saint Peter Julian Eymard, the Apostle
of the Eucharist.
Saint Peter Julian Eymard was the founder of the
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, an order of priests and brothers, as
well as the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, an order of women, and the
Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament, a “third-order” for lay men and women. 2
In addition to his life-long love for Jesus
concealed in the Blessed Sacrament, Saint Peter Julian also had a life-long
love for the Virgin Mary. It should be
remembered that, before he founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament,
he had been an early member of the Society of Mary, the Marists, founded in
Lyons, France in 1816, even serving as the French Provincial of the order in
1844.
Saint Peter Julian may have advocated for the establishment
of a feast dedicated to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, but the idea of a
unique connection between Mary, the source of the physical body of Jesus, and
the Eucharist, the continuing physical presence of Jesus in the world did not
originate with him. In one form or
another it had existed for hundreds of years, both in the Latin-speaking Church
of Western Europe and in the Greek- and Slavic-speaking Churches of Byzantium
and Russia.
The Icons of the Eastern Church
In the early thirteenth century a Russian icon painter made
an image, based on an icon then in the church of Our Lady of Blachernae in
Constantinople. The icon is of an orante
type, in which the figure of Mary stands with her hands upraised in prayer. This particular orante icon, however, had an
additional twist. On Mary’s chest,
between her upraised arms, is an image of the young Jesus, with His arms raised
in the sign of blessing. The icon is
known as the Great Panagia and this Russian version is still preserved at the
Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
 |
| The Icon of the Great Panagia Russian, c. 1200-1240 Moscow, The State Tretyakov Gallery |
It stands at the head of a great number of other Russian
icon types which feature the image of the praying Virgin with the sign of the
Christ Child. In fact, these icons are
known collectively as the “Mother of God of the Sign”.
 |
| Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign "Kursk-Root" Russian, 13th Century |
 |
| Modern Icon of the Mother of God "Chukhloma" Russian, Original from 1350 |
 |
| +Modern Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign "Kursk-Root" Russian, Original 13th Century |
 |
| Modern Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign "Mirozh" Russian, Original 1198 |
A slightly different image adds another detail. In this image, Mary stands behind an altar,
on which rests a chalice from which the blessing Christ Child emerges. This icon became known as the “Mother of God
of the Inexhaustible Chalice” (or sometimes the “Inexhaustible Cup”). Clearly, it is a reference to the Eucharist,
in which the Orthodox Churches, like the Catholic Church, believe that the
bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.
 | |
|
The Western Church -- The Early Christian Period
In the Western Church, the early images were not quite so
concrete. They were more allusive. Among
them are paintings which feature the Madonna and Child, with obvious references
to the substances which make up the Eucharist, such as ears of wheat and
bunches of grapes. Wheat and grapes have
been Eucharist allusions since early Christian times.
 |
| Ceiling Mosaic, Mausoleum of Constantine's Daughters Roman, c. 350 Rome, Santa Costanza |
 |
| The Sarcophagus of the Three Shepherds Amid Vines Roman, late 4th Vatican City State, Museo Pio Christiano This sarcophagus frontal points out how difficult it can sometimes be to decide whether a work of fourth century Roman art is Pagan or Christian. Are the three shepherds concealed references to the Good Shepherd, or not? Is the vineyard activity a Christian reference to the Blood of Christ or is it just a Roman pastoral one? The jury is still out on this one. |
 | |
For a while in the mid-twentieth century there was a theory that this cup, if it is a cup, was actually the Holy Grail, the cup which Christ used at the Last Supper. This is due to the fact that a plain silver cup has been encased in a gilded outer figural cup, which permits the inner cup to be seen. This arrangement is somewhat unusual, which prompted the speculation. The theory is completely rejected by most scholars today. But the Eucharistic references of the grapevines still remains as true as it was. |
Later Western Art
| And the symbolism of these references to the Eucharistic elements continued through the centuries of Western European art. |
 |
| Madonna and Child with Grapes Dutch, c. 1450 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
 |
| Sandro Botticelli, Madonna of the Eucharist Italian, early 1470s Boston, Isabella Steward Gardner Museum |
 |
| Pierre Mignard, Madonna of the Grapes French, c. 1655-1657 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
Ingres' Striking Image
In the nineteenth century, following the harrowing
experience of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire and its wars,
France saw a revival of Catholic practice and thought. Eucharistic fraternities were established in
Paris and other cities in reparation for the events of the recent past. And, at virtually the same time and place in
which St. Peter Julian was founding the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament,
one of the greatest of nineteenth-century French painters embarked on a project
that would last for over 20 years.
In 1841, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, the leading
classical painter of the first half of the nineteenth century, was commissioned
by the future Czar Alexander II, then Czarevich, to paint an image of the
Madonna. Alexander may possibly have
requested a western version of the Mother of God of the Inexhaustible
Chalice. It shares with that picture the
altar and the central position of the chalice on it. It also shares the centered, frontal image of
the Madonna. It differs, however, in
that the figure of Mary, while remaining centered and facing front, it twisted
toward the right as Mary makes a West European gesture of prayer, bringing her
hands together, as opposed to the Eastern Orante position. And, most striking of all, it is not the
Christ Child who appears as seated in the chalice, but the Host, poised as if
hovering over the paten which has been placed on top of the chalice. Ingres has also added two lit candle sticks
(or possibly oil lamps) to each side of the altar, as required for the
celebration of Mass. Mary is presented
as if in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, present as Host and consecrated wine. Behind her stand two figures. They are Saint Nicholas at left and Saint
Alexander Nevsky on the right.
 | |
|
The painting was something of a sensation when it was shown
in Ingres’ Paris studio before being sent to Russia. However, comment focused mostly on the technique
and form of the picture, which was deemed to be very much an homage to Raphael’s
Madonna paintings. Little attention was
paid to the religious content.3
The subject seems to have struck a chord with Ingres,
however, for he painted another five versions of it over the years between 1852
and 1866. All adopt the same central
figure of Mary praying before the Host and chalice, but each one differs in the
other details.
In 1852 Ingres painted the version now in the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. It is virtually identical
to the picture now in Moscow. However,
the background saints have been replaced by two saints heavily identified with
France: on the left Saint Helena (mother
of Constantine, who was thought to hail from either France or Britain) and on
the right Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France).
 | |
|
In 1854 he painted another version, in tondo form, now at
the Musée
d’Orsay in Paris. Again the central
image is unchanged, except for a slight change in the position of the Host
which now is slightly reflected in the paten, but the sides are now occupied by
two angels (they have thin haloes above their heads) who act as acolytes. The
one on the left holds an thurible, from which the smoke of incense can be seen
rising; while on the right the angel tends the flame of the candle or lamp.
 | |
|
In 1859 Ingres painted another version whose current
whereabouts is unknown. 4
In 1860 he returned to the subject again, in a painting
currently in a private collection, but which has recently been promised as a future gift
to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.5
In this version he made
several changes. The figure of Mary
shows little change, save that her halo, which had been indicated by thin golden
circles, is now shown as a solid golden form.
But, behind her green curtains have been added on each side, shown as
being pulled back by two adolescent angels.
The chalice and suspended Host still rest upon the altar, although they
are now tilted so that more of the Host is reflected in the paten. However, a note of slight chaos, or perhaps
better mischief, has been introduced. Instead
of serious angelic acolytes we are now presented by small “angels” of the
cherub or putti type. True to form for
putti, they are curious and not totally focused on the awesomeness of the
Eucharist. Only one, at the far left,
shows true adoration. One plays with the
thurible, while another more serenely holds out the incense boat. One snuggles up to Mary, while gazing
somewhat wistfully at the Host and the last performs the same action as the
adult angel in the 1854 painting, tending to the candle or lamp.
 |
| +Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, The Virgin Adoring the Eucharist French, 1860 Private Collection (Promised future gift to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) |
I
n 1866 Ingres returned to the subject one last time in a
painting now at the Musée Bonnat at Bayonne, France. It differs from the others in being more
close up (although it is just possible that the image may have been cut down). The altar is gone and the focus is entirely
on the chalice and Host and the praying Mary.
Her body is no longer twisted to make the gesture of putting her hands
together. She is, instead, shown with
her hands crossed over her right breast.
The whole tone of the piece is quieter and more somber.
She is shown once again with a halo of thin gold lines. Her companions are two angels whose only
actions are to press close to her as they look at her in attitudes of intense
prayer.
,%20Musee%20Bonnat_2.jpg) |
| Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, The Virgin Adoring the Eucharist French, 1866 Bayonne (FR), Musée Bonnat |
It is interesting to me that this sequence of paintings by
Ingres occupy the same years in which Saint Peter Julian was receiving his
inspiration for mission and was founding his religious orders. It perhaps indicates that there was in France
at the time a hunger for examination of the doctrine and meaning of the
Eucharist for the new industrial world that was coming into being.
 |
| +Alberto Galli, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Italian, 1913 New York, Church of Saint Jean Baptiste |
The spiritual sons and daughters of Saint Peter Julian have
continued to emphasize the importance of the Eucharist for a world that is
hungry for God as well as for physical sustenance. And, their New York church, St. Jean
Baptiste, houses two examples of early twentieth-century interpretations of the
motif. Both show the image of the
standing Madonna, holding in her arms the Christ Child, while He holds out the
Host and Chalice (in one) or the monstrance with the Host (in the other).
 |
| Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament 20th Century New York, Church of Saint Jean Baptiste |
These images bring together the Eastern and
Western interpretations of the same idea, that the Virgin Mary not only bore
the Incarnate Word of God, but points the way to the continuing presence of
that Word in the Eucharist today.
© M. Duffy, 2017. Most images updated 2024. +Indicates that an updated image was not available.
- Saint Peter Julian Eymard, “The Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin”, The Sentinel of the Blessed Sacrament (Montreal), #6, April, 1903, pp. 131-132.
- For more on the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament see: http://blessedsacrament.com
- Andrew Carrington Shelton, Ingres and His Critics, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 103-111.
- See the description, and especially the “Notes” section, of the entry for the New York painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art website: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438434?sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ingres&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=8
- See: “50 for 50: Gifts on the Occasion of LACMA's Anniversary” at http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/50-for-50
No comments:
Post a Comment