St. Mary Magdalene, St. Odile, and St. Clare

A rare German work of the transitional Gothic style (1380–1460) in Ukraine is a fragment of a multi-winged altar with the image of three holy women known for their gifts of divine healing. By far, the rest of the altar's parts are lost. A small space of the scene is depicted conventionally. A smooth golden background with carved overhead decoration in the form of intersecting arcs can be found in the upper part. An acanthus-adorned frieze with a smooth cornice surmounted by an almost mirrored image of the carved decoration, with minor differences, is on panels with four profiled arches in the lower part. The three lyrical female figures complement the work's balanced, symmetrical and rhythmic composition. Mary Magdalene is first left with a golden jar of holy anointing oil in her hands. She is dressed in a red himation cloak. In the Middle Ages, brides wore red garments on their wedding day. The saint woman dressed in rich attire resembles a lady of the Burgundian court in its glory days of the 1340s. St. Odile, the patron saint of Alsace and blind people, is depicted to the right of Mary Magdalene. According to legend, she was born blind, which was considered a great shame for the family, so her mother secretly sent her to a monastery, fearing for her daughter's life. Having gained her sight during the baptismal rite, the girl was named Odile, which means "a child of light". The saint woman became famous for numerous miracles during her lifetime. Legend has it that St. Odile herself made the water gush forth by striking the rock with a staff. To this day, pilgrims come to this place to seek healing. Clare of Assisi, the third saint, was one of the first followers of St. Francis. She came from a powerful noble family but fled home to escape the marriage forced upon her by her parents. On changing the luxurious secular robes to coarse Franciscan clothes, Clare made eternal vows. Being confined to bed because of the illness, she could not attend masses, but she saw the service in a vision on the wall of her cell. Considering it, Pope Pius XII proclaimed her the patron saint of television on February 17, 1958. Clare founded the second (female) order of Franciscans, or the Poor Clares. By the way, their humble abode first appeared in Lviv in 1583, on the premises of today's Johann Georg Pinsel Museum. The altar composition is rich in symbolic elements. A jar of holy anointing oil in Mary Magdalene's hands was painted to emphasize the fact that she anointed Jesus Christ's feet and wiped them with her hair. The eyes between the book pages in St. Odile's hands are a reminder of her miraculous recovery of sight. The monstrance held by St. Clare is associated with actions when enemies attacked her monastery. The brave abbess came out with the Holy gifts, and her faith and prayer were so strong that they stopped the invaders. Flowers placed at the feet of saints have symbolic meanings as well. The ancient Greek naturalist Theophrastus called the carnation a "divine flower". It was once woven into garlands during religious rituals. The deep red carnation is associated with deep, devoted divine love and suffering. The lily of the valley represents incredible generosity and spiritual openness. Lily of the Valley Day is celebrated in France as a symbol of pure love. Stylistically, the work is characterised by the strong influence of Martin Schongauer's (1450–1491) painting and graphic works, as well as the art style of the masters of his school. The presence of Odile, the patron saint of Alsace, testifies to the painting's Alsatian origin.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery