Cleveland Museum of Art

The Trinity

Laurent Girardin

Date

c. 1460

Medium

oil on wood

Culture

France, Lyon

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Fundamental to Christian belief, the Holy Trinity refers to the three divine persons in God—God the Father, here depicted wearing a papal tiara, God the Son, crucified on the cross, and the Holy Spirit, represented as a dove. Juxtaposed with the Trinity's austere depiction are cherubim bathed in radiant red light, possibly influenced by stained glass windows that Girardin also designed in Lyon. God the Father wears a liturgical vestment, a sumptuous and bejeweled cope, or cape, fastened below the neck, typically worn by clergy for processional occasions. It is made of opulent crimson velvet with gold thread forming a large pomegranate pattern. When the painting was acquired in 1960 the artist was not yet identified.

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