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The Mystical Grapes
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This tapestry illustrates the symbolic relationship between wine and Christ’s blood that forms a central belief of the Catholic faith. Flanked by the Virgin Mary and Joseph, the Christ child squeezes grapes into a chalice, symbolizing the gift of his blood for the redemption of humankind. With its small scale, luxurious metallic threads, and extraordinary detail, the tapestry was intended to aid in private devotion. Locking eyes with the infant Christ, the fruit of the Virgin’s womb (represented by the pomegranate in the glass), the user would contemplate Christ’s fate.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Mystical Grapes, c. 1500. Flanders, possibly Bruges. Wool, silk, silver thread; tapestry weave; overall: 79 x 75.9 cm (31 1/8 x 29 7/8 in.); framed: 102.2 x 99.7 cm (40 1/4 x 39 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1973.77
