Artwork
The Death of Saint Bernard
The Death of Saint Bernard is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Juan Correa de Vivar. It dates from 1545 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts the deathbed scene of Bernard of Clairvaux, a twelfth-century Cistercian abbot and theologian, surrounded by kneeling monks in prayer.
The work depicts the deathbed scene of Bernard of Clairvaux, a twelfth-century Cistercian abbot and theologian, surrounded by kneeling monks in prayer. Correa de Vivar emphasizes the saint’s peaceful repose and the spiritual gravity of the moment, aligning with Counter-Reformation ideals of piety and intercessory power.
The composition centers on Bernard’s prone figure, his head slightly elevated, while attendants gather at his side. The subdued palette and restrained gestures underscore the sacred nature of his passing as a model of Christian virtue.
Technique & Style
Created in 1545, The Death of Saint Bernard is executed in oil paint on a panel support. The work measures 138 cm in height and 97 cm in width. As a religious painting by Juan Correa de Vivar, it depicts the death of Bernard of Clairvaux. The piece is currently associated with the Museo del Prado and the Pontevedra Museum.
History & Provenance
Juan Correa de Vivar painted The Death of Saint Bernard in 1545, an oil work on panel measuring 138 cm by 97 cm, originally created for devotional use within a religious context. The painting entered the collection of the Museo del Prado before being transferred to the Pontevedra Museum, where it remains housed today. Its early provenance reflects ecclesiastical patronage typical of mid-sixteenth-century Spanish religious art, though specific commissioning details are not documented in extant records.
The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, though it is currently located at the Pontevedra Museum. No inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources. The sources do not record any exhibition history for this work.
Overview
Juan Correa de Vivar’s oil on canvas, dated 1545, portrays the final moments of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. The composition centers on a bedridden figure swathed in white, attended by a small group of clerics and a woman in red, set within a modest interior marked by a tiled floor and a simple table bearing fruit and a cup.
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