| Artist | |
|---|---|
| Culture | Spanish |
| Date | ca. 1578–1594 |
| Object type | painting |
| Medium, technique | oil on limewood |
| Dimensions | 101 × 63 cm |
| Inventory number | 764 |
| Collection | Old Master Paintings |
| On view | Museum of Fine Arts, First Floor, European Art 1250-1600, Gallery XXIV |
This painted wooden panel was once the door of a tabernacle, a locked box in which the Eucharist was kept. The reverse shows the Christogram IHS, the Latin transcription of the Greek name for Jesus, while on the obverse is the Saviour himself, holding the Host, in a gesture that refers to the original function of the painting. The work is especially interesting in that the chalice depicted on the mensa is a real object, kept in Valencia Cathedral. According to legend, it is none other than the Holy Grail itself, from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper. Research has demonstrated that, the chalice resembling a medieval work of art, actually consists of two parts: the agate bowl, which dates from pre-Christian times, and the gold base and handles that were later additions.
Pigler, Andor, Katalog der Galerie Alter Meister, 1-2. Museum der Bildenden Künste, Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest. 2, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1967, p. 346-347.
Nyerges, Éva, Spanish Paintings, A Szépművészeti Múzeum gyűjteményei/The Collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, 2008, p. 64-65, no. 25.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
