MEDIEVAL IMAGES OF SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX - VA04.jpg

Category Engraving
Origin: artist/workshop Urs Graf the Elder
Date 16C/1
Reference No
Size 8.0x17.0
Provenance St Urban Cistercian Abbey
Present Location London, British Museum
Bibliography LA 216; Paffrath 1984, 401; Hollstein 1977, 11:7

Thieme & willis 1921, 14:486-8
Illustration From Paffrath 1984, ill 283
Other illustrations Hollstein 1977, 11:ill 31

Country Switzerland
Description:
One of the six double silver plates from Urs Graf's 1519 bust-reliquary for St Urban. On the right Bernard converts a gambler dressed as a jester and throwing two dice on to a table placed on a bridge. The inscription reads: TESSERA FISSA DOCET LVDOS CONTEMNERE MIMVM ('The [profit of] dice teaches the actor to have contempt for games'). The Golden Legend has the story of a monk who had been a gambler and decided to return to the world. Bernard decided to give him some capital with which to get going in the hope that he would lose it all and return to the monastery which is what happened. On the left Bernard brings back a runaway horse. The inscription: PACTO ALIUM VICIT DVM VVLT ORARE SECVRVS ('By an agreement he wins over another person who wanted to pray without distraction'). Bernard welcomes the horse with outstretched hands. A man between them witnessses the scene. The story follows immediately after the other one in the Golden Legend. Bernard promises a man, who had bragged about his ability to concentrate when praying, a horse if he can say the entire 'Our Father' without distraction. He almost succeeded, but half way through he could not help wondering whether he would receive the saddle as well as the horse. He failed the test after which he felt less superior. Signed with monogram with dagger at Bernard's feet. (See also VA5-VA11).