Artwork
Conversion of St. William of Maleval by St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Conversion of St. William of Maleval by St. Bernard of Clairvaux is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Cornelis Schut. It dates from 1642 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Cornelis Schut's 1642 oil painting illustrates the religious narrative of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux effecting the conversion of Saint William of Maleval.
Cornelis Schut's 1642 oil painting illustrates the religious narrative of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux effecting the conversion of Saint William of Maleval. The work's iconography centers on the interaction between these two specific holy figures, visually documenting the pivotal moment William embraced a religious life under Bernard's influence. As a piece of religious art, the canvas serves as a visual representation of spiritual transformation and the power of clerical guidance within the Catholic tradition.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, as indicated by its medium and material description. Dated to 1642, the painting follows the religious genre typical of Cornelis Schut’s output. No further details regarding the artist’s handling, the painting’s condition, or specific formal and stylistic qualities are provided in the available sources.
History & Provenance
This painting was commissioned for the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it has remained in the permanent collection since its creation. The work is dated 1642, aligning with Cornelis Schut’s mature period and the broader Flemish Baroque tradition of religious narrative painting. The subject depicts the conversion of Saint William of Maleval by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a theme frequently rendered in Counter-Reformation art to underscore monastic ideals.
The canvas measures 193 cm in height and 124 cm in width, consistent with the scale of devotional works intended for institutional display. Its provenance is continuous within the museum’s holdings, with no recorded transfers or private ownership after its initial acquisition.
Overview
Cornelis Schut, a Flemish painter active in the early 1600s, produced the oil work titled Conversion of St. William of Maleval by St. Bernard of Clairvaux in 1642. The canvas is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings and exemplifies the High‑Baroque visual language that characterized Flemish art of the period.
Context
The painting aligns with the Counter‑Reformation’s emphasis on vivid, didactic imagery that encouraged piety. By depicting a renowned saint effecting the conversion of a hermit, Schut contributes to a visual tradition that linked miraculous intervention with the authority of the Church.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelis Schut (13 May 1597 – 29 April 1655) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, engraver and tapestry designer who specialized in religious and mythological scenes.
- The Martyrdom of the Saints Crispin and Crispinian
Christus vor Pilatus
Saint Charles Borromeo attending to the ill
The Crucifixion, with a Bishop, a Saint, and a Donor in Armor
The Agony in the Garden
Cristo Salvador do Mundo
Saint Augustine defeats heresy
Apparition of Saint Isidore to Saint Ferdinand, king, before the walls of Seville
Death of Saint Joseph
The Entombment of Christ
Drumul Crucii
Hl. Aloysius von Gonzaga (?) bei den Pestkranken