The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Angels bring food to Jesus in the wilderness, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier

Angels bring food to Jesus in the wilderness, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier

1602–4
(1569–1627)
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Sheet: 26.2 x 15.7 cm (10 5/16 x 6 3/16 in.); Image: 20.5 x 11.3 cm (8 1/16 x 4 7/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2005.145.55.a
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The artist has put faces in the rocks, following a Persian convention.

Description

Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert after his baptism, where he fasted, practiced spiritual exercises, and successfully resisted the temptations of Satan. After the devil departed, God sent Jesus food from heaven. In this illustration five angels bring Jesus refreshments, including bread and melons, and a knife for slicing. Four angels are dressed in robes according to European tradition, and one is clothed only in feathers.
  • 1930s or 1940s–2005
    An Indian family in Great Britain, whose grandfather brought the manuscript to England in the 1930s or 1940s
    2005
    (Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd., London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2005–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Carvalho, Pedro de Moura, and W. M. Thackston. Mirʼāt al-quds (Mirror of holiness): a life of Christ for Emperor Akbar: a commentary on Father Jerome Xavier's text and the miniatures of Cleveland Museum of Art, Acc. no. 2005.145. Leiden: Brill, 2012.
    Cleveland Museum of Art. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 212
  • Prince Salim's Life of Christ (Manuscript Rotation) - Gallery 115. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (December 2, 2019-July 1, 2020).
    Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).
  • {{cite web|title=Angels bring food to Jesus in the wilderness, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier|url=false|author=|year=1602–4|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2005.145.55.a