Medieval · National Gallery of Art · 42390

The Holy Trinity

English or Spanish 14th Century, c. 1300/1350

A seated man wearing a long robe and a crown has a crucifix in his lap in this free-standing, cream-white, alabaster sculpture. In this view, the seated man’s body faces us, and his arms are broken off beyond the elbow. He has short, wavy hair and a trimmed beard. His almond-shaped eyes are blank, and his lips are closed. His robe is deeply pleated and hangs in a U shape between his knees. A bird in flight, facing downward, hovers at his throat over the head of the crucified man. That man’s extended arms are also partially broken, but he hangs with his head tilted down to our left. He has a halo behind his long hair, and his mouth drops open. He is nude except for a loincloth across his hips. The crowned man sits on a base with a shield on the front center, but this area is worn.

National Gallery of Art · National Gallery of Art, Washington · Samuel H. Kress Collection · CC0 · Public domain

Artist: English or Spanish 14th Century
Date: c. 1300/1350
Medium: alabaster, with traces of polychromy
Dimensions: 85.3 x 35.7 x 29.2 cm (33 9/16 x 14 1/16 x 11 1/2 in.)
Era: Medieval

Why it matters

The Holy Trinity, dated c. 1300/1350, is catalogued by National Gallery of Art as a work in alabaster, with traces of polychromy. The museum attributes the work to English or Spanish 14th Century. The recorded dimensions are 85.3 x 35.7 x 29.2 cm (33 9/16 x 14 1/16 x 11 1/2 in.). This factual page is generated from the museum catalogue and links directly to its source record.

National Gallery of Art collection record