Apparition of Christ to the Virgin Mary

Frei Carlos's Apparition of Christ to the Virgin Mary belongs to the visionary subject matter this Portuguese monk-painter treated with remarkable psychological depth. The post-Resurrection apparition, based on a vision reported by Saint Bridget of Sweden and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a subject with particular resonance in Hieronymite devotional culture, emphasizing the intimate relationship between the risen Christ and his mother. Frei Carlos's composition shows his mastery of compositional clarity and the tender affective relationship between figures that characterizes his finest devotional paintings.

The intimate encounter between the risen Christ and the Virgin is rendered with the Flemish-Portuguese fusion characteristic of Frei Carlos's monastery workshop.