During Holy
Week, I want to concentrate on the women who followed Jesus to the end, by
looking at the painting of Rogier van der Weyden, who is called the “Master of
Passions”.
Rogier's
genius was portraying emotion in a contained state reflective of his northern
temperament, a gift recognized within his own lifetime. He was a master, unsurpassed in his ability to combine color
and light, shapes and arrangement of
composition, giving us a dramatic sense of being one with the characters in his
art.
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| Descent from the Cross |
Born in
Tournai, Holland
in 1400, Rogier van der Weyden trained under the most important painter of that
city, Robert Campin. By 1435 Rogier had moved to Brussels, where he was named official city
painter, a position created for him that he would hold for the rest of his life. He died in 1464 and yet today, over six
centuries later, his dramatic style holds our attention.
“His
religious figures suffer, mourn, bear witness or simply exist with dignified
pathos, their controlled and restrained yet eminently expressive sentiments
made real through subtle facial expressions, the dramatic twisting of hands and
fingers, even the rhythmic torment of the folds of a garment”. (Scott Walker
art historian living in Paris)
His Descent from the Cross or Deposition (1435)
is perhaps his most famous work. We see Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea having
removed the body of Christ from the cross and lowering it carefully to the
ground on a white shroud. Mary His Mother falls into a faint, supported by St John and a holy woman.
In its
compact composition, purity of color and intensity of emotion, Rogier’s Descent From the Cross is often
said to be one of the greatest religious paintings in
the history of Western art.
The woman to the far left of the painting is MARY CLOPAS, said to be a half sister to the Blessed Virgin. “Standing
by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas...” (John 19:25)
How clear
are we today, as to the true identity of this Mary? By examining and comparing
the Crucifixion scene as described by the different Gospel writers, most
biblical historians have concluded that the Mary of Clopas found in John’s
Gospel was likely the same as “Mary, the mother of James and Joseph” found in
Matthew’s Crucifixion narration as well as “Mary, the mother of the younger
James and of Joses” found in Mark’s version. Mark further explains that Mary of
Clopas was one of the women from Galilee who
had often accompanied Jesus during his mission and assisted him in his works.
We must also remember that in the Biblical sense any relative was called sister or brother, when in fact they were often cousins. So this Mary could have been a cousin to the Virgin Mary or even a sister-in-law, on either side. Whoever she was, Rogier certainly gives her a memorable place in this masterpiece, as she copiously weeps into her veil.
After Jesus’
death we read that Mary of Clopas and her sisters from Galilee wanted to anoint His body with spices. However,
the Sabbath was rapidly approaching, so the women put off the anointing until very early Sunday morning and only then did they go to the tomb to tend to the
chore.
As Mary of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, and Salome approached the tomb, they
were startled to see that the stone used for closing the burial location had
been moved. As they entered the tomb, they were further amazed to see an angel
of God sitting at the tomb (two angels according to Luke and John). This angel
told the women that Jesus had been raised and instructed them to go tell the
disciples that Jesus was alive.
