Title

Christ and Saints

Author

Seghers, Gerard [attributed to]

Antwerp, 1591 - Antwerp, 1651

Typology

School

Century

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Observations

The painting of Christ and the Repentant Sinners by Gerard Seghers is a 17th-century work illustrating the theme of the redemption of sinners, recurring subject in Flemish art during this period.

Christ, holding the cross, stands at the center of the scene, surrounded by repentant sinners begging for His forgiveness. Among them, on the right, is Dismas, the good thief, supporting the cross, while Peter, with his hands clasped, humbly asks for divine mercy. To the left of Christ, Mary Magdalene, her arms raised, expresses her contrition with an intense posture of supplication. Further left, King David and the prodigal son bow before Christ’s mercy, embodying the theme of returning to faith and reconciliation. Finally, another figure, more to the side, strikes his chest in a gesture of repentance; he is identified as the publican from the Gospel of Luke (18:13), symbolizing humility and the recognition of one's sins.

This work by Seghers is part of the iconographic tradition of repentant sinners that developed in the Southern Netherlands from the 1560s, linked to the teachings of the Council of Trent on confession and penance. Seghers' composition, with its expressive characters and use of light, draws inspiration from the work of Rubens, who had created a similar prototype in the early 1610s, notably with a painting housed in the Alte Pinakothek of Munich.

Seghers' work, identified by an old photograph in the Spanish archives (IPCE, Archivo Moreno 06229), was originally located in the José Lázaro Galdiano Collection and exhibited at the Lázaro Galdiano Museum. It was briefly displayed at the Prado Museum in 1957, then sent to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid for further study. Since then, it has been difficult to trace its whereabouts, and its current location remains unknown. Fortunately, the existence of an engraving by Jacob Neefs, faithfully reproducing Seghers' painting, helps confirm its attribution and precise composition. This engraving reflects the circulation of the image and its influence at the time.

Related links

Bibliography

• A. Delvingt (2009): Gérard Seghers, 1591-1651, et le caravagisme européen: entre les anciens Pays-Bas, l'Italie et l'Espagne, vol. Appendix 2, nº 1, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, p. 124, il. cat. A.86.
• D. Bieneck (1992): Gerard Seghers: 1591-1651. Leben und Werk des Antwerpener Historienmaler, Luca Verlag, Lingen, p. 200, il. cat. A86.
• M. Lorente (1963): "Sobre un cuadro de Gerard Seghers", Archivo español de Arte, nº 144, pp. 307-309, il. 1.

Locations

• Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid (Spain)