Triptych with Mary and Her Son, Archangels, Scenes from Life of Christ and Saints

Description This triptych (three-paneled icon) is distinguished by its somber colors, linear patterns, and sense of quiet melancholy. The combination of white and black bands on the wings, which is rare in Ethiopian art, creates a bold pattern that serves as a background for Christ and the saints. The victorious, resurrected Christ, seen at the upper right, holds in his hand a processional cross.

Exhibitions

• Ethiopian Art at The Walters. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1996.
• Angels of Light: Ethiopian Art from the Walters Art Museum. Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton; Museum of Biblical Art, New York. 2006-2007.

Provenance Knopfelmacher Collection, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; William Wright Gallery, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1996, by purchase.

Credit Museum purchase with funds provided by the W. Alton Jones Foundation Acquisition Fund, 1996