Artwork
Roundel with Saint Jodocus and St. Clare of Assisi
Roundel with Saint Jodocus and St. Clare of Assisi is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1525 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This circular painting, known as a roundel, presents two haloed figures identified as Saint Jodocus and Saint Clare of Assisi.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Dated to 1525, the work is classified as a religious painting, indicating it was produced to foster reverence and personal reflection.
The roundel depicts Saint Jodocus and Saint Clare of Assisi, identified by its title as a man and a woman within a religious context. Dated to 1525, the work is classified as a religious painting, indicating it was produced to foster reverence and personal reflection. By portraying these two saints together, the image likely aimed to highlight their shared ideals of humility, charity, and contemplative devotion, inviting the viewer to meditate on exemplary Christian life.
History & Provenance
The roundel is an anonymous religious painting dated to 1525, as indicated by its inception year and stylistic classification. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, where it is currently housed. No specific commission or earlier owners are recorded in the available sources, and the work's creation history remains tied to its unidentified maker and the early-sixteenth-century context in which it was produced.
Legacy
The roundel depicting Saint Jodocus and Saint Clare of Assisi, dated to 1525, entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where its status as an anonymous yet finely executed example of early sixteenth‑century religious painting has sustained scholarly interest. Its presence in a premier public museum has allowed continued examination in exhibition catalogues and academic literature, reinforcing its reputation as a representative work of the period’s devotional art. The piece’s inclusion in the museum’s catalogue raisonné and its frequent reproduction in scholarly publications have contributed to a sustained legacy that informs contemporary understandings of early Netherlandish visual culture.
Overview
This circular painting, known as a roundel, presents two haloed figures identified as Saint Jodocus and Saint Clare of Assisi. Positioned side-by-side, the saints are depicted with distinct attributes against a backdrop featuring architectural and nautical elements. The artwork's formal composition and specific iconography reflect its devotional purpose, characteristic of religious art from its period.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a round format, a common choice for decorative or devotional pieces. Its visual impact relies on the striking contrast between the rich gold accents on the saints' garments and staffs, and the more subdued, earthy palette used for the rest of the composition. The figures exhibit a stiff, formal quality, typical of earlier religious painting, emphasizing their spiritual significance over naturalistic representation.
Artist & collection
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