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拍品专文
The vigorous evangelization of the native peoples of the Americas and later also those in the Far East during the Spanish colonization periods led to the proliferation of paintings and other religious artefacts required in order to make the mysteries of the faith comprehensible to all the faithful. The Mass is the most important Christian ritual as it commemorates Christ’s Passover supper with His disciples instructing them to celebrate this last gathering and exhorting them to “…do this in remembrance of me.”1 According to the Gospels Christ is the sacrificial lamb slaughtered for the forgiveness of humanity’s sins; and in Saint John the Baptist’s words, “…the lamb who taketh away the sins of the world.”2
The colonial artisans adhered strictly to the Catholic canon which stipulated all elements of the faith be clear in visual or sculptural representations. The painter was instructed on color and in certain cases in the use of precious elements such as gold. The use of gold in this composition serves to heighten the sacredness of what is being visually presented—the sacrament of the Eucharist. The upper register of the painting is occupied by the heavenly realm and filled with the holy figures of Saint Rose of Lima, the Virgin Mary the Queen of Heaven, Christ the Son of God and Saint Francis amidst the profusion of clouds and under the golden rays emanating from the exquisite gold monstrance which holds the consecrated host. The dazzling object is heavily encrusted with precious stones and pearls which were considered the rarest of gems. At the center is a small sacrificial lamb with a red banner, a potent Christian symbol of Christ’s crucifixion and the shedding of His blood which sits on the book of the New Testament that reveals the fulfilment of God’s covenant with His people through His Divine Son.
The four Doctors of the early Church, sit in the Earthly realm under the holy spectacle; they hold the Gospels of the New Testament or perhaps their own writings. They appear to be engaged in a lively discussion as evident in Saint Gregory the Great’s posture as he raises his hand in the air holding a stylus or quill, perhaps to make a point. From left to right is Saint Jerome in his cardinal robes who is known to have taken the Sacrament of the Eucharist at his last rites; seated next to him is Saint Ambrose, bishop and noted theologian who asserted the dogma of the Divine Presence in the Eucharist; Saint Augustine, bishop and scholar whose many treatises on the Holy Trinity aided in explaining the Eucharist and whose philosophy influenced Western Christianity for nearly a thousand years after his death; and Saint Gregory the Great, pope and theologian who reorganized the Church; supported the cult to the Virgin Mary; persuaded the invading Lombards, Franks, Visigoths and other barbarian groups from entering and ravaging Rome and later converted them; protected Jews from unjust coercion; fed the population during the numerous plagues; revised the sacred liturgy; sent missionaries to Britain to convert the Anglo-Saxons; encouraged monks to sing their prayers; and is considered the last of the influential minds of the early Christian Church.
MJ Aguilar, Ph.D.
The colonial artisans adhered strictly to the Catholic canon which stipulated all elements of the faith be clear in visual or sculptural representations. The painter was instructed on color and in certain cases in the use of precious elements such as gold. The use of gold in this composition serves to heighten the sacredness of what is being visually presented—the sacrament of the Eucharist. The upper register of the painting is occupied by the heavenly realm and filled with the holy figures of Saint Rose of Lima, the Virgin Mary the Queen of Heaven, Christ the Son of God and Saint Francis amidst the profusion of clouds and under the golden rays emanating from the exquisite gold monstrance which holds the consecrated host. The dazzling object is heavily encrusted with precious stones and pearls which were considered the rarest of gems. At the center is a small sacrificial lamb with a red banner, a potent Christian symbol of Christ’s crucifixion and the shedding of His blood which sits on the book of the New Testament that reveals the fulfilment of God’s covenant with His people through His Divine Son.
The four Doctors of the early Church, sit in the Earthly realm under the holy spectacle; they hold the Gospels of the New Testament or perhaps their own writings. They appear to be engaged in a lively discussion as evident in Saint Gregory the Great’s posture as he raises his hand in the air holding a stylus or quill, perhaps to make a point. From left to right is Saint Jerome in his cardinal robes who is known to have taken the Sacrament of the Eucharist at his last rites; seated next to him is Saint Ambrose, bishop and noted theologian who asserted the dogma of the Divine Presence in the Eucharist; Saint Augustine, bishop and scholar whose many treatises on the Holy Trinity aided in explaining the Eucharist and whose philosophy influenced Western Christianity for nearly a thousand years after his death; and Saint Gregory the Great, pope and theologian who reorganized the Church; supported the cult to the Virgin Mary; persuaded the invading Lombards, Franks, Visigoths and other barbarian groups from entering and ravaging Rome and later converted them; protected Jews from unjust coercion; fed the population during the numerous plagues; revised the sacred liturgy; sent missionaries to Britain to convert the Anglo-Saxons; encouraged monks to sing their prayers; and is considered the last of the influential minds of the early Christian Church.
MJ Aguilar, Ph.D.