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A set of
seven paintings
commissioned for the
Holy Spirit Hospital in
Akmaar, Netherlands
was completed and
installed in
1504
These
were based on
the theme of charity
from the gospel of
Matthew
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Several
of the paintings
were damaged in 1556,
when many Catholic churches
were vandalized by Protestants
The damage was not repaired,
and can be seen at the edges
and corners of several
images below
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Words carved
into the lower frame
under each painting help
us understand what the
artist was thinking
.
The first maxim says,
“Share mildly with the poor,
God will take care of you”
:
Panel 01
Feeding the Hungry
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Below this painting is written,
“Of food and drink in this
life, a thousandfold will be
compensated to you”
:
Panel 02
Giving Drink to the Thirsty
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Below this painting is written,
“Cover the nakedness of your
neighbor, so that God will
remove the stains
of your sin”
:
Panel 03
Clothing the Naked
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Below this painting is written,
“For his burying of the dead
so we read, Tobit was
praised by God”
:
Panel 04
Burying the Dead
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Below this painting is written,
“The Lord speaks for you to
see, what you do to the
least you do to me”
:
Panel 05
Welcoming Strangers
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Below this painting is written,
“Do visit the sick and ailing,
your reward will increase
in eternity”
:
Panel 06
Caring for the Sick
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Below this painting is written,
“Who meets the imprisoned with
charities hereafter it will
benefit his soul”
:
Panel 07
Visiting Prisoners
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All seven
of these paintings
are framed together
.
They form a unified
scene of a town, with
the resurrected Jesus
centered at the top
:
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“Then the King will say
to those on his right, ‘Come,
you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation
of the world. For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave
me something to drink,
I was a stranger and
you invited me in,
I needed clothes and
you clothed me, I was
sick and you looked after
me, I was in prison and
you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you something
to drink? When did we see you a stranger
and invite you in, or needing clothes and
clothe you? When did we see you sick
or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply,
‘Truly I tell you, whatever
you did for one of the least
of these brothers and sisters
of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:34-40
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The icon
for this exhibit
is a detail from Panel 02
“Giving Drink to the Thirsty”
:
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