Holy Trinity

In the Middle Ages, three new ways of depicting the Holy Trinity emerged in the West, (i) the three identical men, (ii) the throne of mercy, and, (iii) the Son sitting at the right hand of the Father. Various abstract symbols have also been used to depict the Holy Trinity.
In this piece, the Holy Trinity is depicted amid dense clouds, with the symbols of the Passion and angels with Mannerist features, in a style less rigorous than that used in Portuguese religious painting from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Three figures are shown – the Father, an old man; the already crucified Son; and the Dove of the Holy Spirit. The Father, wearing a closed crown rather than being enthroned while adopting the maternal pose of a Pietá, the positioning and richness of the drapery and several other details of this marble-relief give it an Italian look. An orb – symbol of sovereignty – has been included in this work and supports the Son’s feet. The finely worked details usually found in images from India are absent. The third person in the Holy Trinity, the Dove, looks more like an eagle with outspread wings perched on the shoulder of God the Father.