Artwork
The Great Chalice Adorned with Figures
The Great Chalice Adorned with Figures is a print by the Baroque artist Wenceslaus Hollar. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1924.648
- Credit line
- Gift of Leonard C. Hanna Jr.
About this work
Look up other works in the subject: bohemia, 17th century to see how artists from this region mixed religious and foreign designs.
This etching shows a giant chalice covered in tiny carved figures, saints, apostles, and scenes from Christ’s death. The base is shaped like a pointed Moorish arch, a style from Spain and North Africa.
Hollar didn’t see the chalice in person. He worked from a drawing owned by his patron, the Earl of Arundel. The piece was meant for Catholic Mass, holding the priest’s wine, but Hollar turned it into a detailed print anyone could own.
Look up other works in the subject: bohemia, 17th century to see how artists from this region mixed religious and foreign designs.
Overview
The Great Chalice Adorned with Figures is an etching by Wenceslaus Hollar, depicting a life-sized Catholic chalice adorned with intricate religious imagery and Moorish design elements.
Subject & Meaning
The chalice, traditionally used to hold consecrated wine during Mass, features scenes of Christ's suffering and death, standing saints and apostles, and a subtle crescent suggesting the Eucharistic wafer, symbolizing the body of Christ.
Technique & Style
Hollar's etching combines detailed, miniature figures with a distinctive Moorish-inspired pointed foot, reflecting the fusion of religious and foreign design influences characteristic of 17th-century Bohemian art.
History & Provenance
Created from a drawing in the collection of Hollar's patron, the 14th Earl of Arundel, this work was produced without the artist seeing the original chalice, making the etching an accessible representation for a broader audience.
Context
This piece exemplifies the 17th-century Bohemian artistic tendency to blend religious themes with exotic, imported styles, such as Moorish architecture prevalent in Spain and North Africa.
Legacy
As a widely distributable print, The Great Chalice Adorned with Figures extended the reach of intricate, religiously themed artwork beyond ecclesiastical circles, contributing to the broader dissemination of Bohemian artistic styles.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wenceslaus Hollar (Czech: Václav Hollar (Czech pronunciation: ), German: Wenzel Hollar; 23 July 1607 – 25 March 1677) was a Czech engraver, etcher and painter.
