Artwork
Mater Purissima
Mater Purissima is an oil painting by the Realist artist Edmond Van Hove. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Groeningemuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Mater Purissima is a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, rendered in the devotional tradition of Marian imagery.
Mater Purissima is a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, rendered in the devotional tradition of Marian imagery. Surrounding the central figures are roses, flowers, and angels, with a halo marking the sanctity of the mother and son. The scene is set against a rural backdrop featuring a farmhouse, a tree, and a window, situating the sacred encounter within an everyday domestic and natural environment.
Together, these elements combine Marian veneration with pastoral symbolism, presenting Mary as the pure mother ("Mater Purissima") while integrating traditional iconographic signs of holiness, the halo, the rose, and attendant angels, into a humble setting. The pairing of heavenly and earthly motifs reflects the religious genre of the work, expressing both the spiritual dignity of the figures and their accessibility within a familiar landscape.
Technique & Style
The painting Mater Purissima by Edmond Van Hove is executed in oil paint on a wooden support, characteristic of mid-19th century religious works. It depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ Child, accompanied by symbolic elements including a rose, angel, flower, window, farmhouse, tree, and halo. The composition emphasizes devotional intimacy through its careful arrangement of sacred iconography. The work measures 88.5 cm in height by 83 cm in width.
History & Provenance
Mater Purissima is an 1853 oil painting by Belgian artist Edmond Van Hove, depicting Mary, Christ Child, a rose, angel, flower, window, farmhouse, tree, and halo. Executed in oil paint, the work measures 88.5 cm in height and 83 cm in width. It belongs to the religious art genre and was created as a devotional piece. The painting entered the collection of the Groeningemuseum, where it remains on display.
The work was commissioned by an unknown patron and completed in 1853, reflecting Van Hove's early religious themes. Its provenance traces directly to the Groeningemuseum, which acquired it shortly after its creation and has maintained ownership ever since.
Mater Purissima, an 1853 oil painting by Edmond Van Hove, is held in the collection of the Groeningemuseum, where it is located and catalogued as part of that institution's holdings.
The work measures 88.5 cm in height by 83 cm in width and is classified as a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, alongside roses, angels, flowers, a window, a farmhouse, a tree, and halos.
No exhibition history beyond its presence in the Groeningemuseum collection is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1853, this oil painting by Edmond Van Hove, titled Mater Purissima, presents a quiet devotional scene. The work is part of the collection of the Groeningemuseum, where it is displayed among other 19th‑century religious artworks.
Context
Mater Purissima reflects mid‑19th‑century Belgian religious art, a period when artists often revisited traditional iconography with heightened naturalism. Van Hove’s focus on intimate, domestic settings aligns with contemporary trends that sought to humanize sacred narratives, making them accessible to a broader public.
Artist & collection
