- Period
- Late Gothic
- Date
- c. 1460
- Collection
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Object no.
- 1960.79
The Trinity
Laurent Girardin, c. 1460
Cleveland Museum of Art · Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund · Public domain
- Maker
- Laurent Girardin
- Date
- c. 1460
- Medium
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- Framed: 134.5 x 114.5 x 8 cm (52 15/16 x 45 1/16 x 3 1/8 in.); Unframed: 114 x 94.5 cm (44 7/8 x 37 3/16 in.)
- Period
- Late Gothic
The record
Why it matters
Fundamental to Christian belief, the Holy Trinity refers to the three divine persons in God—God the Father, here depicted wearing a papal tiara, God the Son, crucified on the cross, and the Holy Spirit, represented as a dove. Juxtaposed with the Trinity's austere depiction are cherubim bathed in radiant red light, possibly influenced by stained glass windows that Girardin also designed in Lyon. God the Father wears a liturgical vestment, a sumptuous and bejeweled cope, or cape, fastened below the neck, typically worn by clergy for processional occasions. It is made of opulent crimson velvet with gold thread forming a large pomegranate pattern.