Creator

Jacob Clauser

Creation-date

1557

Technique

Painting

Material

Oil on wood

Inventory number

Inv. 388

Subject-1

Bonifacius Amerbach

Object-Current-Location

Basel, Kunstmuseum

Digital resource author

GrECI Project

Digital-resource-rights holder

University of Oslo (for GrECI project)

Image-number

039_Id_14

License

CC BY

Description

The painting shows how quotations from the Bible and the Greek Church Fathers could be used to promote a distinctive Christian identity. The Greek inscription in the lower left corner is from 1 Tim. 6, 6 ("Godliness with contentment is great gain"), which Amerbach also used to adorn his coat of arms. Another Greek inscription ("in one, all") is placed on either side of Amerbach's head and recalls Dio Chrysostom's characterisation of Paul (Hom. 2 Cor. 25.3 = PG 61:574). These words may have been added by Giovanni Bernardino Bonifacio (1517-97), who received the painting as a gift, as a tribute to Amerbach, drawing a parallel between him and the Apostle.