A work of art for Trinity Sunday
Albrecht Dürer ( German, Nuremberg 1471-1528, Nuremberg) The Holy Trinity, 1511, woodcut, 39,8 x 28,7 cm ( CC Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
The representation of the mystery of the Holy Trinity was a subject of theological and artistic debates during the Middle Ages, notably in England where the earliest known representation, probably dating from the 12th century, can be found on the mural paintings of the church of St Mary the Virgin at Houghton-on-the-Hill (Norfolk).
An interpretation specific to the Western Church emerged gradually and was codified in 1511 by the German artist Albrecht Dürer. It is not the only representation of the Trinity that we can find but is the most popular because, being a print and therefore produced in many copies, it spread quickly throughout the entirety of Europe. God the Father seated on the "Throne of Grace" holds under His armpits the body of His dead Son in a gesture of compassion. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, hovers above them. All around angels hold the “Instruments of the Passion” to celebrate Christ’s sacrifice through obedience and love for His Father.
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