Who painted The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation?

The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation was painted by Netherlandish 15th Century in 1466.

Where can I see The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation?

The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation?

The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation is associated with Renaissance.

The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation by Netherlandish 15th Century (1466)

Inscription: Inscribed:at top, in block: Primum querite regnum dei et iusticiam eius et omnia hec adicientur vobis. Mathei sexto. (Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God and his justice: and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6[:33]) / Quid enim proficit homini si lucretur vniuersum mundum se autem ipsum prodat et detrimentum sui faciat Luce ix (For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world and lose himself and cast away himself? Luke 9[:25]) / Ite et vos in vineam meam et quod iustum fuerit dabo vobis Matth. xx. (Go you also into my vineyard and I will give you what shall be just. Matthew 20[:4]) Ego sum vitis vera Johannis xiiij. (I am the true vine. John [verse 15:1].) at upper left, in banderole, in block: Maria Madalena; at right center, in banderole, in block: Maria Martha in banderoles above fingers, in block, from left to right (thumb to little figure): pollex voluntas dei sanctificatio / Index cognitio / medius contritio / medicus confessio / Auricularis satisfact[tio]; on thumb, in block: declinatio mali (avoid evil) / prosecutio boni (pursue the good); on index finger, in block: Cogitatio mali (know evil) / detestatio co[gnice?] / fuga detestatis (flee the accursed); on middle finger, in block: Offensa dei (offenses against god) / mesticia angelorum (sadness of the angels) / Acquisitio dampni (the acquisition of harm); on ring finger, in block: humilis (humility) / simplex (sincerity) / cum spe venie (with the hope of grace); on little finger, in block: oratio (prayer) / Jeiunium (fasting) / Elemosia (alms) in banderole at lower left, in block: Si voluntatem dei scis / Agnosce malum vt euites. / Si malum egisti doleas. / Si vere doles confitearis. / Si confessus es satisfac. (If you know the will of God, recognize evil, so that you may avoid it. If you have done evil, regret it. If you regret it, confess it. When you have confessed it, do penance.); in banderole at lower right, in block: Polex significat voluntatem dei. / Index significat cognitionem. / Medius digitus significat contritionem. / Medicus significat confessionem. / Auricularis satisfactionem. (The thumb signifies God's will, the index finger understanding, the middle finger contrition, the ring finger confession, the little finger repentance.) at lower center, on sleeve, in block: Lucerne ardentes in manibus (the lamps in your hands should be burning in order to recognize the advent of the Lord); at lower center, on cuff, in block: Petra autem erat Christus (yet Christ was a rock) at bottom, in block: Hec manus continent specululm humane saluationis. Et habet polex duos articulos tantum ceteri vero digiti habent iij. / Dicitur nam polex quasi potens lex vel pollex qui in uirtute pollens. Index dicitur quasi indicans siue monstrans et proprie / nil monstratur nisi congnitum. Medius qui et maior digitorum est contritionem signat que debet esse magna. Jpsa enim est / medium quo peruenitur ad gloriam. Medicus dicitur ab opere in quo et vena cordis sita est qui dignitus confessionem signat / que si a corde procedat Vulnerato fece peccati largam dabit sospitatem quam medicus noster. Ihesus Christus venit vocare peccatores mar vj9. / Auricularis vero autem linit et purgat et ipse est paruus digitus. Et me[rite] satisfactionem representat quia omnis nostra / satisfactio est minima respectu delicti et premij. Sic labora et manducabis. Factum anno 1466. [translations (with some abbreviations resolved for legibility) from Parshall, Peter, and Rainer Schoch. _Origins of European Printmaking: Fifteenth-Century Woodcuts and Their Public._ Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 2005, p. 294-295.]

About this work

Overview

The Hand as the Mirror of Salvation is a woodcut print, enhanced with hand-coloring in rose, green, yellow, and gray, and printed in brown ink through a friction technique. The composition centers on a colossal hand supporting a mirror, accompanied by two diminutive figures on its fingers.

Subject & Meaning

The dominant hand, holding a mirror, symbolizes a reflective pathway to salvation. Two figures, one gazing upwards and the other pointing at the mirror, suggest contemplation and guidance. Surrounding text, woven around the hand like ribbons, implies a connection between the written word and spiritual enlightenment.

Technique & Style

Executed as a woodcut, the piece leverages the medium's inherent textures. Hand-coloring adds depth, with the brown ink of the print contrasting against the vibrant, yet muted, hues of rose, green, yellow, and gray. The style emphasizes bold lines and flat, colored areas, characteristic of woodcut printing.

Context

Created in a period when woodcut was a prevalent method for mass-producing images, this work likely served religious or devotional purposes, given its thematic focus on salvation and contemplation. The use of simple, recognizable imagery suggests it may have been intended for a broad audience.