I recently came across this stunning image and thought it worth sharing with you during this time of Eucharistic renewal in our country, for I think it tells us much of the attitude and disposition we should have when approaching our Lord Jesus made present to us in the appearance of bread and wine. The Virgin Adoring the Host is the work of the French artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, and dates from 1852. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website:
Ingres made this small, jewellike devotional painting as a gift for his friend Louise Marcotte; she introduced the artist to Delphine Ramel, whom he married in 1852. The Virgin appears behind an altar table, flanked by two saints in adoration of the Eucharist. The composition pays homage to the long tradition of intimate paintings made for religious devotion, particularly the art of Raphael from the early 1500s.
With technical particulars out of the way (oh, its oil on canvas), what does this painting tell us of the attitude and disposition we should have in approaching Jesus in the Eucharist?
David J. Conrad
Ingres made this small, jewellike devotional painting as a gift for his friend Louise Marcotte; she introduced the artist to Delphine Ramel, whom he married in 1852. The Virgin appears behind an altar table, flanked by two saints in adoration of the Eucharist. The composition pays homage to the long tradition of intimate paintings made for religious devotion, particularly the art of Raphael from the early 1500s.
With technical particulars out of the way (oh, its oil on canvas), what does this painting tell us of the attitude and disposition we should have in approaching Jesus in the Eucharist?
- It seems to me that whenever the Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted in art and shown in adoration, the subject of that adoration is invariable her Son, Jesus. Like Mary, our devotion to Jesus must be wholehearted, as is beautifully illustrated for us in this painting with Mary’s rapt attention fixed firmly on the Host. There’s a gracefulness to Mary’s attention too; it’s not dogged or fraught with distraction. Here we see Mary as our model in adoring Jesus; she is our reference for aligning our own attitude and disposition with hers as we together approach her Son and our Savior.
- And together with Mary we do approach Jesus, for there are two other figures in this painting, flanking Mary. These two figures appear to be French royal saints; I haven’t found out who specifically they are though. Regardless, we can see in them you and me, the baptized who have been granted the dignity of being made sons and daughters of God and thus heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. Through a spiritual life fueled by Jesus Himself in the Eucharist, we will one day inherit the Kingdom.
- A final thought on our royal dignity and Jesus in the Eucharist: to reign is to serve. Here we see Jesus Himself before us, in the foreground of the painting; vulnerable; on offer. Having received Him worthily, we too must carry Jesus into the world and share Him with others. We too must make ourselves vulnerable so that others can encounter Jesus through us. So there is necessarily an outward dimension to the Eucharist that is the counterpoint of Its inward dimension. Adore the Lord in the Eucharist, yes; commune with Him in the most intimate way possible this side of Heaven, yes; but then carry forth into your sphere of influence the benefits of this encounter. Serve as Jesus serves you.
David J. Conrad
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