The Adoration of the Eucharist
By Willem Vrelant, circa 1460

This Medieval family kneels in adoration of the Eucharist in their family chapel. We don’t know who the family was, but they were probably from Bruges, Belgium. Their beautiful clothes and the elaborate gold of their chapel, plus the very fact of commissioning a book of this quality, indicate that the couple was well-off, as well as devout.

The image introduces a short service called the Office of the Holy Sacrament. We can’t quite make out all the Latin, but we think the first red letters are a rubric for a prayer of Salutation to God. After that, we think it means, “Hail the Son of God! The Word of God the Father, through a Virgin, became the Lamb of God, a victim for the Salvation of the World. The Word had pity on the World.” And then a red rubric calling for an Our Father and a Hail Mary. (If you can help us with the Latin, please do!)

The flowers and filigree are not just medieval bric-a-brac. They have meaning. The yellow flowers are fleur-de-lis, stylized lilies symbolic of the Trinity, suggesting purity, resurrection, and sometimes the Virgin. The blue Bachelor Buttons refer to Mary’s Crown. Raspberries in Christian artwork symbolize kindness in this way: Raspberry’s red juice invoked the energy of the blood, which runs from the heart and carries love, nutrition, and kindness through the body. In this case, it would refer to the body of Christ, as our Medieval family would likely have known.

The print is really sharp, and the colors are rich.

8.5 x 11 acid-free paper with archival ink. The print will last for generations when kept out of the direct sun. There is about an inch-and-a-third of white space around the picture. Cardboard backer. Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.
IMPORTANT!!! The image is smaller than the paper.

Standard size. Easy to find a ready-made frame at your local Hobby Lobby. If you're sending this as a gift and would like us to frame it for you, please convo and we'll make special arrangements for you.

Text and Image Alterations ©  Sue Kouma Johnson

You might also be interested in original Catholic art and jewelry by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, available all over this shop! Thanks!