The Virgin of Mercy responding to the intercessions of saints by protecting people from arrows symbolising disease; the Devil rules below, where plague attacks the land. Lithograph after L. Dottorini after Benedetto Bonfigli, 1464 (?).

Towards the bottom-left, a group of nuns proceed praying towards a church. The central flock gathered around the Virgin are divided into monks on the left and nuns on the right. Outside the city walls, a family, including an ass bearing twins, makes its way from the city. The two men on the right seem to be having an armed altercation with a man inside the gate

Arrows and spears abound in this print: above Mary, (here seen in her incarnation as the Virgin of Mercy or Misericordia), Jesus, recognisable by the wound in his side, wields three arrows in his hands; he stands between the two angels Justice and Mercy. Arrows break against the cloak on Mary's shoulders. Saint Sebastian kneels on her left. Raphael aims a prong at Satan, who holds a bow and two arrows, with which he (in the form of the plague) has slaughtered the group that lies at his feet. Three of the standing figures at the bottom are holding spears

1800-1899

1 print : lithograph

Præsidium in opportunitatibus. Vero ritratto del antichissimo quadro detto il SS. Gonfalone che si venera nella cappella della Confa. della SS. Concezione essistente nella chiesa de PP. Minori Conventali di S. Fran.co di Perugia. L. Dottorini incise. The haloes are all inscribed; Mary's reads: Ave Maria gratia plena. From the left, clockwise: S. Bernardinus D...(Saint Bernardinus of Siena); S. Francissus de As[sisi]; Ser... (?); S. Laurentius Mar... (Saint Laurence Martyr); ...Justitia [Justice, the top-left hand angel]; Misericordia [Mercy, the top-right hand angel]; Ludovic... (Saint Louis); S. Costan... (Saint Constantinus?); S. Petrus Ma... [Saint Peter Martyr, with knife in head]; S. Sebastianus (Saint Sebastian); Rafael Miser[icordiæ?] (angel Raphael?). Scene below bears lettering: F.V.R. 1464.

For information on the theme of the Virgin of Misericordia, the plague and the confraternities of monks, see: L. Réau, 'Iconographie de l'art chrétien' (Paris, 1957), vol. 2, pp. 112-119

Wellcome Collection 21419i

After a "gonfalone" (processional banner) attributed to Benedetto Bonfigli and/or members of his workshop, painted for the Capella della Confraternità della SS. Concezione, and recorded in the church of S. Francesco al Prato in Perugia (The dictionary of art, s.v. Bonfigli)