concept

A woman beleaguered by four enemies; representing Faith resisting Death, Schism, the World and the Devil. Engraving by Hieronymus Wierix after Maarten de Vos, 156-.

The Blessed Henry Suso. Oil painting after F. Zurbarán.

<p>Faith is seated in the centre. Around her are four enemies. On the left, Death aims an arrow at her, but Faith in response holds out her hand inscribed with the name of Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew characters), because Jesus had cancelled out the sin of Adam and thereby conquered death. In the left foreground, Schism or Heresy, arguing from the text of a book, has the appearance of an angel but from behind can be seen to have a skull and the body of a snake attached to her belt: Faith's defense is a shield with a cross on it, as the  shape of the cross is a union of separate parts. In the right foreground, a woman representing the World and worldly values offers wine from a cup, holds a chest of coins, exposes her breasts and has luxuries on the ground in front of her: Faith resists with the rewards of martyrdom which two angels confer on her; between them the name of God appears in Hebrew characters (Yahweh, in the form of the Tetragrammaton). On the right, Satan brandishes torches representing violence, murder and cruelty: Faith responds from her heart, where the Holy Ghost appears. Behind Faith, two trees: on the left an oak, on the right a palm, representing the Old and New Testaments</p>

1 print : line engraving ; image 28.8 x 34.1 cm

<p>Standing in a landscape, dressed in the Dominican habit, exposing a tattoo of the monogram of Christ on his abdomen and pointing to it with a stylus</p>

1 painting : oil on canvas ; canvas 55.5 x 41.5 cm

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A woman beleaguered by four enemies; representing Faith resisting Death, Schism, the World and the Devil. Engraving by Hieronymus Wierix after Maarten de Vos, 156-.

The Blessed Henry Suso. Oil painting after F. Zurbarán.

Wellcome uses cookies.

Holy Name, Devotion to

Images

Catalogue

A woman beleaguered by four enemies; representing Faith resisting Death, Schism, the World and the Devil. Engraving by Hieronymus Wierix after Maarten de Vos, 156-.

The Blessed Henry Suso. Oil painting after F. Zurbarán.

Wellcome Collection

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