 |
| El Greco, The Sorrow of God Greco-Spanish, c. 1577-1579 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
“For God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not
perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
Christians, and Catholics in particular, believe in a Triune God. Catholics begin every liturgy, every prayer with the words “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, echoing the words of Jesus himself “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19). Christians of all types baptize in the name of the Three Persons. Catholics and some other Christians also end prayers with what is known as a doxology, the most familiar of which for Catholics is “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.”. Many liturgical prayers address God the Father directly at their end in a way that includes the other Persons of the Trinity “Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
What is this all about? “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself.”2 Belief in the Holy Trinity is unique to Christianity and is one of the most difficult of all Christian concepts to understand. It is a primary stumbling block for many, many people. To Jews and Muslims it is inconceivable, even blasphemous, to suggest that God, the One God, should be Three "Persons" and that one of the Three became and remains human. To those who acknowledge that God may exist, it is a leap too far to say that this “Force” is somehow personal, let alone triune, and that the man, Jesus, was also God. To those from cultural traditions where many gods are the norm, it is puzzling why Christianity claims to be about one God, when it seems to name three.
To Christians the Trinity is one of the great glories of Christianity, but also one of its most profound (in the sense of deep and overwhelming) mysteries. Even the most subtle thinkers have reminded us that our earthbound, materially based, intellects cannot grasp the full reality of the Three in One. Yet, the Christian belief in the Trinity appears very early on, already in use by Saint Paul in the middle of the first century, barely twenty years after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.3 And, it was clearly in evidence by the time Matthew’s Gospel was written, about an additional thirty years later, as evidenced by the quote in the first paragraph above.4 It certainly represents a huge break from Jewish tradition, with the strong insistence on the oneness of God. It is a break so radical that it is, in itself, evidence of a revelation, for what devout Jew would or could imagine such a thing.
Most people in western culture today are vaguely aware of the image of the Virgin Mary holding her dead son on her lap, known as the Pietà. The image of the sorrowing mother is one that, on a human level, no one has any trouble understanding. One does not need to be a Christian to relate to the image.
The Iconclass system, a system of classifying art by subject, developed in Holland during the 20th century, describes this image type as “God the Father standing or seated, holding the body of Christ, ‘Pitié-de-Notre-Seigneur’, ‘Not Gottes’”. 5 These two expressions may be translated into English as the “Sorrow of God”. It is this image that we will be examining here.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:16-17 (Jesus speaking to Nicodemus)
Gospel for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year B
Gospel for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year B
“In this way the love of God was revealed to
us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through
him.
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.”
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:9-10 (John the Evangelist writing toward the end of
the first century AD)1
Christians, and Catholics in particular, believe in a Triune God. Catholics begin every liturgy, every prayer with the words “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, echoing the words of Jesus himself “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19). Christians of all types baptize in the name of the Three Persons. Catholics and some other Christians also end prayers with what is known as a doxology, the most familiar of which for Catholics is “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.”. Many liturgical prayers address God the Father directly at their end in a way that includes the other Persons of the Trinity “Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
What is this all about? “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself.”2 Belief in the Holy Trinity is unique to Christianity and is one of the most difficult of all Christian concepts to understand. It is a primary stumbling block for many, many people. To Jews and Muslims it is inconceivable, even blasphemous, to suggest that God, the One God, should be Three "Persons" and that one of the Three became and remains human. To those who acknowledge that God may exist, it is a leap too far to say that this “Force” is somehow personal, let alone triune, and that the man, Jesus, was also God. To those from cultural traditions where many gods are the norm, it is puzzling why Christianity claims to be about one God, when it seems to name three.
 |
| Diagram that attempts to explain the relationships within the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is God, but they are differentiated independently. Therefore, the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit, The son is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. But each is God and together they are one and undivided God. |
To Christians the Trinity is one of the great glories of Christianity, but also one of its most profound (in the sense of deep and overwhelming) mysteries. Even the most subtle thinkers have reminded us that our earthbound, materially based, intellects cannot grasp the full reality of the Three in One. Yet, the Christian belief in the Trinity appears very early on, already in use by Saint Paul in the middle of the first century, barely twenty years after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.3 And, it was clearly in evidence by the time Matthew’s Gospel was written, about an additional thirty years later, as evidenced by the quote in the first paragraph above.4 It certainly represents a huge break from Jewish tradition, with the strong insistence on the oneness of God. It is a break so radical that it is, in itself, evidence of a revelation, for what devout Jew would or could imagine such a thing.
 |
| Federico Zuccaro, Seven Archangels Adoring the Trinity Italian, c. 1600 Rome, Church of Il Gesù |
Also early and profound is the assertion that this infinite God
so loved us, flawed as we are, that he chose to unite himself with us and to
suffer with us at the deepest level, through the limitations of a human life, bearing
physical torture and psychological suffering, and dying in his human body, just
like us. But then, Christians believe
that, in a spectacular and completely unexpected act, that divine-human person
also rose to a new kind of life in that same body and took that body into the
infinity of God, which is the loving union of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And further, we believe that God offers a
share in this new life to us, through his union with us. Only love can do this and love is the nature of the Holy Trinity. Although no
theologian has been able to completely explain the Trinity, it is generally
agreed that the essence of God is love, that this love is cosmically creative,
that it is self-reflective and that the self-reflection is the source of the
distinct “Persons” who sustain all of creation through the mutual, overflowing,
infinitely active love which they share.
Many times the Evangelist John reminds us that God is love
and that his infinite love is also the source of his self-offering, for the
Jesus who teaches and heals and suffers and dies is also the Father, and, when
we see him we see the Father.
“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak
on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his
works.”
John 14:9-10 (Jesus speaking to the Apostle Philip)
Imagining the Unimaginable
Some years ago I wrote about the iconography of the Holy Trinity (see Iconography of the Holy Trinity -- Imagining the Unimaginable). This has consistently remained one of my most popular articles. In it I tried to explain the difficulties Christian writers and artists have had over the centuries in trying to imagine and picture the Trinity. I also gave a brief overview of some of the ways in which visual artists have envisioned the Trinity. In this article I will be looking at one of those treatments, in which artists have struggled to give form to the self-offering of the Trinity.Most people in western culture today are vaguely aware of the image of the Virgin Mary holding her dead son on her lap, known as the Pietà. The image of the sorrowing mother is one that, on a human level, no one has any trouble understanding. One does not need to be a Christian to relate to the image.
 |
| Michelangelo, Pietà Italian, c. 1499-1500 Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica |
Primarily the image that comes to mind is the great statue carved by the young Michelangelo, which has been on display in the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican City for centuries. But very few are aware that a there is another image which, though derived from it, shows a far more profound, even troubling, idea. For in it we see that God the Father presents us with the ultimate proof of his love for his human creatures.
,%201402_New%20York,%20Pierpont_MS%20M%20515,%20fol.130v_1.jpg) |
| Workshop of the Master of the Coronation of the Virgin, The Sorrow of God From a Book of Hours French (Paris), 1402 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 515, fol.130v |
The Iconclass system, a system of classifying art by subject, developed in Holland during the 20th century, describes this image type as “God the Father standing or seated, holding the body of Christ, ‘Pitié-de-Notre-Seigneur’, ‘Not Gottes’”. 5 These two expressions may be translated into English as the “Sorrow of God”. It is this image that we will be examining here.
Development of the Image of the Sorrow of God
The Sorrow of God image appears to have had its beginnings in the period stretching from the end of the fourteenth- to the beginning of the fifteenth-century.
A series of other images, centering around the body of Christ depicted as bearing
the wounds of the Crucifixion, appear to have played a role in its
development.
First, the image of the Pietà, in which the body of Jesus,
removed from the cross, is laid across the lap of Mary, his mother.
 |
| Roettgen Pietà German, c. 1300 Bonn, Rheinisches Landesmuseum |
 |
| Roberto d'Oderisi, Pietà Italian, c. 1370 Private Collection |
 |
Enguerrand Quarton, Pietà of Villeneuve-les-Avignon French, c. 1460 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
,%20c.%201485-1495_Paris,%20Musee%20du%20Louvre.JPG) |
Louis Brea, Pietà French, c. 1485-1495 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
 |
| Lorenzo Lotto, Pietà Italian, 1545 Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera |
Then the image of the Man of Sorrows, in which the dead
Christ stands or sits before the viewer, showing the wounds of the Passion for
contemplation.
 |
| Master of the Borgo Crucifix, Man of Sorrows Italian, c. 1255-1260 London, National Gallery |
 |
| Niccolo di Tommasso, Man of Sorows Italian, c. 1370 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection |
 |
| Master of Mary of Burgundy, Man of Sorrows Flemish, c. 1480 Berlin, Staatliche Museen, Kupferstichkabinet |
 | |
|
A third image that contributes is the closely related
“Throne of Grace” or “Mercy Seat” image, in which God the Father, joined by the
symbolic dove of the Holy Spirit, presents Christ on the cross to our
gaze.
 | |||||
| The Throne of Grace From Psalter-Hours of Ghiluys de Boisleux French (Arras), c. 1246-1260 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 730, fol. 203r
|
 |
| The Throne of Grace French, c. 1470s Cleveland, Museum of Art |
All three of these image types begin to appear at least 100 years
before the Sorrow of God, which can perhaps also be called a Divine Pietà
or Divine Lamentation. And it takes
elements from each of them.
From the Pietà, it takes the image of the dead body
laid across the lap of a parent.
 |
| Pietà French, c. 1515 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
 |
| Master of the Darmstadt Passion, The Sorrow of God German, c. 1440-1450 Berlin, Gemaeldegalerie der Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
,%20c.%201450-1460_The%20Hague,%20Koninklijk_MS%20KB%2076%20F%202,%20fol.%2054r.jpg) |
| Jean le Ravernier and Follower, The Sorrow of God From a Book of Hours with Additional Prayers Flemish (Oudenaarde), c. 1450-1460 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 76 F 2, fol. 54r |
From the Man of Sorrows, it takes the image of the dead
Christ, sometimes supported by Mary and/or John and sometimes by angels.
 |
| Giovanni Bellini, The Man of Sorrows with the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist Italian, c. 1455 Bergamo, Accademia Carrara |
 |
| Master of Flamalle, The Sorrow of God Flemish, c. 1433-1435 St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum |
,%20c.%201470-1480_New%20York,%20Pierpont_MS%20M1001,%20fol.%20148r_1.jpg) |
| Robinet Testard, The Sorrow of God From a Book of Hours French (Poitiers), c. 1470-1480 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M1001, fol. 148r |
From the Throne of Grace image, it takes the inclusion of
the dead Christ with the images of Father and Holy Spirit.
 |
| Attributed to Jean le Noir, The Throne of Grace From Epistolary of the Sainte-Chapelle French (Paris), c. 1325-1375 London, British Library MS Yates Thompson 34, fol. 116v |
,%20c.%201445-1460_New%20York,%20Pierpont_MS%20M1031,%20fol.%2052v_1.jpg) |
| The Sorrow of God From a Book of Hours Dutch (Haarlem), c. 1445-1460 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 1031, fol. 52v |
 | |
|
The Sorrow of God
Where the Sorrow of God image often departs from the other image types is in
the relationship between God the Father and the spectator. The images of the Pietà present Mary’s grief at the
death of her son, but her grief is something we view as outsiders. Her mourning takes place within time and is directed toward the dead body
lying in her lap or on the ground before her. Her sorrow is contained in the picture plane
or the space within a sculpture. We
approach it as bystanders, closed out of the sorrowing group.
,%20with%20Saints%20John%20Evangelist%20and%20Mary%20Mag_French,%20c.%201500_Paris,%20Musee%20du%20Louvre.JPG) |
Jean Hey (Master of Moulins), Pieta with Saints John Evangelist and Mary Magdalene French, c. 1500 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
In the Sorrow of God images the Father holds the body of his
dead son, but he holds it in a way that presents it directly to our gaze. We do not experience it through the eyes of
Mary, as we do in the Pietà, nor do we experience it as a comfortably distant moment in time. We see it in an ever new Now. We are directly
confronted by it. Indeed, in many of the
later images of the Sorrow of God, the Father looks directly out at us, as if
challenging us to pay attention. We are
not invited to participate in a sympathetic viewing of the dead Jesus, but to
contemplate it as a divine offering, that has cost the Father dearly. “It
is not just an image that awakens the spectator's piety; it is primarily an
image for God's piety, of his active and victorious mercy in Christ.”6
,%20c.%201440-1450_London,%20British%20Library_MS%20Egerton%202019,%20fol.%20203_1.jpg) |
| Attributed to the Dunois Master, The Sorrow of God From a Book of Hours French (Paris), c. 1440-1450 London, British Library MS Egerton 2019, fol. 203 |
 |
| Master of Sir George Talbot, The Sorrow of God From a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1495-1505 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M390, fol. 165v |
 |
| Tilman Riemenschneider, The Sorrow of God German, c. 1516 Berlin, Skulpturensammlung der Staatliche Meseen zu Berlin |
It differs from the Man of Sorrows image because, although
the figure of the dead Christ may be held before our eyes, it is held by God
the Father and usually includes the figure of the Holy Spirit, either as a dove
or as another human-like Person. Hence,
the Sorrow of God image is ultimately Trinitarian in nature. We are to contemplate the image of the
Crucified One in relation to his position as a member of the Trinity, not just
as a human being.
,%20c.%201480_Berlin,%20Kupferstichkabinett%20der%20Staatliche%20Museen%20zu%20Berliln_MS%2078%20B%2012,%20fol.%2013v.jpg) |
| Master of Mary of Burgundy, The Sorrow of God From Hours of Mary of Burgundy Flemish (Ghent or Bruges), c. 1480 Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett der Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Inv. # 78 B 12, fol. 13v |
 |
| Master of Nicholas von Firmian, The Sorrow of God From a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1495-1505 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M1170, fol. 111v |
It differs from the Throne of Grace image in that it is an
image of pathos rather than of presentation and triumph. It is as if the Father is asking us to
understand the effects of our sin and the price of redemption. It is as if he speaks to us and says “See
what your disobedience has cost. See how
much I love you.”
 |
| Master of Flemalle, The Sorrow of God Flemish, 1430 Frankfurt, Stadelsches Kunstinstitut |
 | |
|
 |
Colijn de Coter, The Sorrow of God Flemish, c. 1510-1515 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
 |
| Albrecht Dürer, The Sorrow of God German, 1511 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
The point of
the image is not ambiguous, for, in some of the later images, especially those
in prints, the text of John 3:16-17 is included in the image. We are reminded that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” The images make this offering of love very
clear. We are being challenged by it, we
are shown this offering of the Divine Love and we are gently urged to respond
to it in love.
 |
| Hieronymus Wierix, The Sorrow of God with Quotation from John 3:16-17 Flemish, c. 1600-1619 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
In later images, the Father takes on what is almost a gesture of pleading with the viewer to avail themselves of the grace gained by so much suffering.
 | ||||
| Johann Saderler after Maarten van Heemskerck, The Sorrow of God Dutch. c. 1560-1600 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum
|
 |
| Corrado Giaquinto, The Sorrow of God Italian, c. 1755-1756 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
This
heightened concentration on the participation of the Father in the suffering of
the Son represents one of the powerful currents of thought and of Christian
devotion active in late medieval Europe.
Between the apparent serenity of the “high” middle ages, which is
generally reckoned to be the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and the
disturbed, somewhat fretful world of the fifteenth century lies the fourteenth
century. The fourteenth century saw
several of the worst catastrophes to hit Europe in all of history. These included: serious famine, the failure of the last
crusades, fraternal wars within Europe, instability in the Church and, worst of
all, the Black Death, the great plague that wiped out huge numbers of
people. Perhaps in response to these
disturbances nominalist philosophers developed a new philosophical theory that
challenged the long tradition of idealism, going back to Plato. Where the tradition believed in the existence
of universal or “ideal” concepts, the new philosophy of nominalism held that
there were no universals, only particular instances of being. This was deeply disturbing to the way in
which individuals saw the world. Also, during
this period the Church, which had been functioning at a high level, commanding
respect from rulers and people throughout Europe, fell into serious dysfunction,
with the removal of the Pope from Rome to Avignon in southern France and
subsequent control of the papacy by the French kings, then later with several
sets of anti-popes establishing their courts in places other than Rome and
drawing allegiance from different countries, making for a chaotic and disunited
Church.
The general instability led people to seek new ways of relating to God and to each other with the formation of various lay communities, some associated with established religious orders, some independently under the authority of their local bishop. Among these new movements were the Beguines, communities of lay women, and the Brothers and Sisters of the Common Life, communities sometimes composed of men only, sometimes of women and sometimes of whole families. Most of these new organizations, collectively known as the Devotio Moderna, were active in Northern Europe, especially in the Low Countries and Germany, which also was the region in which the image of the Sorrow of God was most popular. Among the contributions made by these groups is one of the most well-known devotional books of all time, The Imitation of Christ, written by Thomas a Kempis and still in use today. Among the techniques of prayer which the followers of the Devotio Moderna popularized was that of mentally placing oneself at a scene from the Bible. This type of focused meditation may have contributed to the rise of images such as the Sorrow of God.
The general instability led people to seek new ways of relating to God and to each other with the formation of various lay communities, some associated with established religious orders, some independently under the authority of their local bishop. Among these new movements were the Beguines, communities of lay women, and the Brothers and Sisters of the Common Life, communities sometimes composed of men only, sometimes of women and sometimes of whole families. Most of these new organizations, collectively known as the Devotio Moderna, were active in Northern Europe, especially in the Low Countries and Germany, which also was the region in which the image of the Sorrow of God was most popular. Among the contributions made by these groups is one of the most well-known devotional books of all time, The Imitation of Christ, written by Thomas a Kempis and still in use today. Among the techniques of prayer which the followers of the Devotio Moderna popularized was that of mentally placing oneself at a scene from the Bible. This type of focused meditation may have contributed to the rise of images such as the Sorrow of God.
 |
| The Sorrow of God German, c. 1415-1430 Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum |
,,%20c.%201440-1450_London,%20British%20Library_MS%20Yates%20Thompson%203,%20fol.%20152v%20(2).jpg) |
| Dunois Master, The Sorrow of God From the Dunois Hours French (Paris), c. 1440-1450 London, British Library MS Yates Thompson 3, fol. 152v |
 |
| Follower of the Master of Flemalle, The Sorrow of God From the Ersheim Altarpiece German, c. 1500 Hirschhorn, Former Monastery Church of the Annunciation |
 |
| Jan Vermeyen, The Sorrow of God Flemish, c. 1500 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
 |
| Maarten van Heemskerck, The Sorrow of God Flemish, c. 1544-1545 Private Collection |
 |
| Jose de Ribera, The Sorrow of God Spanish, 1635 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
The development of this image demonstrates the enormous power of pictures to make
instantly accessible ideas that frequently require many words. The idea which the subject of this article
represents is that of John 3:16, “God so
loved the world that he gave his only son”.
But it is even more than that, for some of these images emphasize the
aspect of the Trinity that seems hardest to understand. They present us with an image of the Father
or of the Father and the Holy Spirit in which all three figures have the same
face, reminding us that Jesus said “The
Father and I are one” (John 10:30).
And this is a reminder to us to contemplate the way in which the love of
God has expressed itself, for in showing us the body of the dead Jesus, the
Trinity is represented as showing us its very self.
,%20c.%201440-1450_%20London,%20British%20Library_MS%20Royal%2019%20A%20XXII,%20fol.%201.jpg) |
| chool of the Talbot Master, The Trinity Adored by a Donor From Sept articles de la foy French (Rouen), c. 1440-1450_ London, British Library MS Royal 19 A XXII, fol. 1r |
,%20c.%201445-1455_New%20York,%20Pierpont_MS%20M421,%20fol.%2015v_1.jpg) | ||
| Master of Jean Chevrot, The Trinity From a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1445-1455 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 421, fol. 15v
|
 |
| Miguel Ximenez, The Trinity Spanish, c. 1480-1490 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
 |
| Master of the Older Prayerbook of Maximilian,, The Trinity From Breviary of Eleanor of Portugal Flemish (Bruges), c. 1495-1515 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 52, fol. 189v |
 |
| Simon Bening, The Trinity From the Da Costa Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1510-1520 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 399, fol. 340v |
These images are both a reminder and a plea. They are a reminder of the almost
inconceivable love of God for humanity and also a plea to humans to remember
and to receive that gift of love, so freely and so painfully given.
 |
| Jean Bellegambe, The Trinity Triptych Flemish, c. 1500 Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts |
© M. Duffy, 2019; with additional and refreshed images, 2023
1. Introduction to
the First Letter of John from New American Bible, Revised Edition, © Confraternity
of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. Printed edition by Catholic Bible
Press, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville and Atlanta, 1987, p. 1413. The same text is available online at 1 John 4.
2. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part I, §2, Chapter 1, Article 1, ¶2, #234. Online at: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P17.HTM. In print: United States Catholic Conference, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican City State, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994.
2. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part I, §2, Chapter 1, Article 1, ¶2, #234. Online at: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P17.HTM. In print: United States Catholic Conference, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican City State, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994.
3. “The grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit
be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)
4. Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew from New American
Bible, Revised Edition, © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington,
D.C. Printed edition by Catholic Bible Press, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Nashville and Atlanta, 1987, pp.1057-1061.
The same text is available online at The Gospel
According to Matthew.
5. A description of the Iconclass system of iconographic classification may be read at Iconclass Description. The system itself can be accessed at the Iconclass website.
6. Boespflug, François (trans. Cuneen, Joseph). “The Compassion of God the Father in Western Art”, CrossCurrents, Volume 42, Winter 1992/1993, p. 500.
7. Vann, Gerald, O.P. The Pain of Christ and the Sorrow of God, New York, Alba House, 1994, p. 91.
5. A description of the Iconclass system of iconographic classification may be read at Iconclass Description. The system itself can be accessed at the Iconclass website.
6. Boespflug, François (trans. Cuneen, Joseph). “The Compassion of God the Father in Western Art”, CrossCurrents, Volume 42, Winter 1992/1993, p. 500.
7. Vann, Gerald, O.P. The Pain of Christ and the Sorrow of God, New York, Alba House, 1994, p. 91.
Further reading:
Boespflug, François and Cuneen, Joseph. “The Compassion of God the Father in Western
Art”, CrossCurrents, Volume 42,
Winter 1992/1993, pp. 487-503.
Schiller, Gertrud. Iconography
of Christian Art, Volume 2, The Passion of Jesus Christ. Translated by Janet Seligman. Greenwich, CT; New York, Graphic Society, 1977
and subsequent, pp. 219-224.
Vann, Gerald, O.P.
The Pain of Christ and the Sorrow of God. New York, Alba House, 1994, pp. 75-97.
Scripture texts in this
work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986,
1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by
permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New
American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from
the copyright owner.
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