The Infant Christ Pressing the Wine of the Eucharist, c. 1500
Unknown artist, Netherlandsexpand_more
Linen warp, wool, silk and gilt weft yarnsexpand_more
The Walter C. and Mary C. Briggs Trust Fundexpand_more 2014.104
Not on Viewexpand_more
This small tapestry depicts the infant Jesus pressing grapes into a chalice. The imagery was widely understood at the time of its creation to reference the physical sacrifice Jesus would later make in his crucifixion. In the Christian ritual of the Eucharist, followers drink holy wine to remember Jesus’s suffering. The remarkably fine quality of the weaving suggests the tapestry was made in a preeminent Brussels workshop. The presence of gold and silk yarns proclaim the tapestry’s value as a high status object, but the intimate scale and subject matter suggest it was used by an elite individual within a devotional practice, most likely within the home.
Details
- Title
- The Infant Christ Pressing the Wine of the Eucharist
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2014.104
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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