Hulin de Loo, Georges: Early Flemish paintings in the Renders Collection at Bruges: exhibited at the Belgian Exhibition, Burlington House, January 1927 (London, 1927)

with the worship rendered in the community of the churches,
but who is absorbed in the contemplation of God, of Him who
suffered to save mankind. The origin of these representations
is well known. Mr. Male has shown us that they had as
prototypes the pictures brought to Italy from the East in the
12th. and 13th. centuries; as great indulgences were attached
to them, they were in great favour; every pilgrim wanted to
possess a representation of this subject of suffering. *-1-
*€ The strangeness of the Oriental type of Christ probably
helped to create the legend of a vision that Pope Gregory is
said to have had, while saying Mass, and thus the original
scene became modified. We therefore see in our Northern
Schools, already at the end of the 14th. century, reproductions
of the « Christ de Pitie » either standing alone or accompanied
by angels or other holy persons : the latter being generally
the Virgin and Saint John. Here our artist has put Saint
Catharine in the place of Saint John, and what is more
astonishing and more rare, he has represented the Virgin
with the Child, doubtless to make this reunion still more
appealing and to recall the long sufferings of the Mother,
who from His very first years was aware of the sufferings
in store for her divine Son. Besides, is not the whole picture
one of sacrifice and devotedness, as is shown symbolically by
the pelican above the frame ? Not satisfied with inciting the
mystic to the meditation of these great figures, the artist
intended also to draw his attention to all the episodes of the
Passion, this in accordance with the taste prevailing during the
whole of the 15th. century; he has therefore added to the

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