Marian and Commemorative Iconography Combined:

The ‘Spes Nostra’ Epitaph in the Context of the Liturgical Practices of Mariënpoel Convent

Abstract

Remarkable for its unique combination of Marian and commemorative iconography, the so-called ‘Spes Nostra’ painting of circa 1500 – a memorial tablet also known as an epitaph – has fuelled an ongoing debate regarding its purported message and commissioners. Despite a wide range of proposed interpretations, none of the proffered hypotheses fully explains all the elements the image contains. In the present article, the oft-mentioned possibility of a connection to liturgical practice (from which the unknown master’s name of convenience was born) is further explored through the consultation of liturgical sources, including chant books. To this end, two undisputed elements of the panel are taken as starting points: the clergy’s vestments, pointing to the panel’s function in a Devotio Moderna community under the Rule of St Augustine, and the Visitation iconography. Based on a large corpus of Devotio Moderna sources, the unicity of the panel’s combinatory iconography is demonstrated. Moreover, a unique practice in the Devout convent of Marienpoel near Leiden, combining the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the commemoration of the convent’s members and benefactors, is brought to light. The exact parallelism of Marienpoel’s specific practice to the panel’s iconographic themes provides compelling argument for its localization in that community.