Sujet

Mass for the Dead; Arenberg Hours, early 1460s. Creator: Willem Vrelant.

Légende

Mass for the Dead; Arenberg Hours, early 1460s. Additional Info: The black-robed figures that surround the draped coffin in this miniature are probably professional mourners, hired for the funeral. The crippled beggar on crutches approaching on the right was probably also hired for the occasion. The poor were considered especially good intercessors on behalf of the souls of the dead, so it became common during the later Middle Ages to arrange for the distribution of food and alms to the poor on the day of a funeral. On the left, four monks stand before an open choir book wearing elaborate copes, while a priest performs the Mass for the dead at the altar. The owner of this prayer book was meant to reflect on this image and the accompanying Office of the Dead on a daily basis as a reminder of humanity's mortality and the need for penitence and charity to achieve salvation.

Crédit

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Notre référence

HRM24A79_147

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

Licence

Droits gérés

Format disponible

79,7Mo (8,2Mo) / 35,8cm x 55,7cm / 4231 x 6581 (300dpi)

Mots clés

Europe Latin religious arts religion writing art book monk monks letter mass Flanders Belgium color dead decoration death medieval Christian Christianity poor poverty text century page alphabet literature priest priests concept mourning decorated beggar beggars manuscript lettering coffin coffins funeral calligraphy Colour Flemish mediaeval Middle Ages initial mourner mourners 15th century book of hours fifteenth century illuminated manuscript tempera TGN vellum manuscript Heritage Art miniature (painting) folio recto Decorated Initial Tempera colours gold leaf and ink Arenberg Hours Willem Vrelant Vrelant Willem Guillaume Vrelant Vrelant Guillaume