Triumph of the Eucharist Series at The Ringling: Introduction & Context
Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640), one of the Baroque era’s most celebrated painters, was commissioned in 1625 by Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of King Philip II of Spain and sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands. She was a devout Catholic and patron of the arts, and she tasked Rubens with designing a monumental tapestry cycle to celebrate the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist—a central tenet of Counter-Reformation theology.
Rubens produced 20 designs (modelli) for tapestries that were woven in Brussels and installed at the Convent of the Descalzas Reales in Madrid, where Isabella hoped to retire. These tapestries were displayed on feast days and religious celebrations, reinforcing Catholic orthodoxy through allegory, biblical typology, and triumphant imagery.
The Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, holds five monumental oil paintings based on Rubens’ tapestry designs. These are not cartoons (preparatory works for weaving), but full-scale canvases likely produced in Rubens’ workshop as independent works. They are:
- The Triumph of Divine Love
- The Gathering of the Manna
- The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek
- The Four Evangelists
- The Defenders of the Eucharist
Each canvas measures over 12 feet in height and was acquired by John Ringling in the early 20th century, with the final piece, The Triumph of Devine Love, added in 1980.
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About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) was one of the most celebrated painters of the Baroque era. Known for his dynamic compositions, luminous color, and expressive figures, Rubens worked across Europe for royal courts, churches, and civic patrons. His art blended classical mythology, Christian theology, and political allegory — often on a monumental scale. Rubens wasn’t just a painter; he was a diplomat, scholar, and master of collaboration. His workshop in Antwerp produced large commissions with astonishing speed and quality, often involving assistants and specialists under his direction.
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The Triumph of Devine Love — by Peter Paul Rubens
- Gallery: Museum of Art, Gallery 1
- Medium: Oil on canvas, ca. 1625
- Dimensions: 152 x 204 in. (386.1 x 518.2 cm)
- Credit Line: Museum purchase, 1980
- Object Number: SN977
✨ Significance of the Piece
A celestial allegory of divine grace conquering sin. Angels, virtues, and personifications swirl around the Eucharist, which radiates as the source of salvation. This is the spiritual climax of the Triumph of the Eucharist series — a vision of heaven’s embrace of the sacrament.
At the center of the composition, the Eucharist is elevated like a sunburst, casting golden light across the canvas. Surrounding it are allegorical figures representing Faith, Hope, and Charity, each rendered with expressive gestures and flowing robes. Cherubs and angels lift the symbols of divine love upward, while below, darkened figures representing Sin, Heresy, and Discord are cast down in defeat.
Rubens choreographs the scene with theatrical precision: upward movement, radiant color, and swirling motion all reinforce the triumph of divine truth. The painting doesn’t just depict doctrine — it dramatizes it. For Isabella Clara Eugenia, this image would have served as both personal devotion and political affirmation: a visual proclamation that divine love, embodied in the Eucharist, reigns supreme over all earthly error.
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The Gathering of the Manna — by Peter Paul Rubens
- Gallery: Museum of Art, Gallery 2
- Medium: Oil on canvas, ca. 1625
- Dimensions: 192 x 162 in. (487.7 x 411.5 cm)
- Credit Line: Bequest of John Ringling, 1936
- Object Number: SN211
✨ Significance of the Piece
In this monumental canvas, Rubens dramatizes the biblical episode from Exodus 16, where God miraculously provides manna to the Israelites wandering in the desert. The scene is not merely historical it’s deeply theological. The manna, rendered as luminous white wafers, prefigures the Eucharist, linking Old Testament sustenance to New Testament sacrament.
Rubens’ composition teems with movement and emotion: women and children gather the manna in baskets, while others gaze heavenward in awe. The figures are bathed in divine light, their gestures urgent yet reverent. This interplay of chaos and grace reflects the Baroque ideal, where human need meets divine generosity.
The painting served the Counter-Reformation agenda, affirming Catholic doctrine through visual splendor. Rubens, as court painter and master of allegory, transforms a desert miracle into a theological cornerstone, reinforcing the Eucharist’s centrality in Catholic worship.
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The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek — by Peter Paul Rubens
- Gallery: Museum of Art, Gallery 2
- Medium: Oil on canvas, ca. 1625
- Dimensions: 175 1/4 x 224 3/4 in. (445.1 x 570.9 cm)
- Credit Line: Bequest of John Ringling, 1936
- Object Number: SN212
✨ Significance of the Piece
In this canvas, Rubens dramatizes the biblical episode from Exodus 16, where God miraculously provides manna to the Israelites wandering in the desert. The scene is not merely historical—it’s deeply theological. The manna, rendered as luminous white wafers, prefigures the Eucharist, linking Old Testament sustenance to New Testament sacrament.
Rubens’ composition teems with movement and emotion: women and children gather the manna in baskets, while others gaze heavenward in awe. The figures are bathed in divine light, their gestures urgent yet reverent. This interplay of chaos and grace reflects the Baroque ideal, where human need meets divine generosity.
The painting served the Counter-Reformation agenda, affirming Catholic doctrine through visual splendor. Rubens, as court painter and master of allegory, transforms a desert miracle into a theological cornerstone, reinforcing the Eucharist’s centrality in Catholic worship.
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The Four Evangelists — by Peter Paul Rubens
- Gallery: Museum of Art, Gallery 2
- Medium: Oil on canvas, ca. 1625
- Dimensions: 173 x 176 in. (439.4 x 447 cm)
- Credit Line: Bequest of John Ringling, 1936
- Object Number: SN213
✨ Significance of the Piece
Rubens’ The Four Evangelists is a monumental celebration of the authors of the Gospels, each rendered with dynamic movement and symbolic clarity. The painting is not a literal scene from scripture, but a visual allegory of divine inspiration and theological unity.
On the far left, St. Luke is accompanied by an ox — a symbol of sacrifice, referencing the priestly themes in his Gospel. Beside him stands St. Mark, holding his Gospel and flanked by a lion, evoking Christ’s resurrection and courage. At the center, St. Matthew is guided by an angel who points to a passage in his Gospel while gesturing heavenward, signifying divine revelation. To the right, the youthful St. John gazes at an eagle, emblematic of his apocalyptic vision and spiritual insight. A cup with a serpent near John alludes to the legend of his miraculous survival after drinking poison.
Rubens choreographs the figures in a sweeping arc, their gestures and gazes interwoven in a sacred dialogue. The composition pulses with energy — flowing robes, expressive faces, and radiant light all contribute to the Baroque drama. This work exemplifies Rubens’ ability to fuse theological depth with painterly brilliance, making the Evangelists not just historical figures, but living conduits of divine truth.
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The Defenders of the Eucharist — by Peter Paul Rubens
- Gallery: Museum of Art, Gallery 2
- Medium: Oil on canvas, ca. 1625
- Dimensions: 171 x 175 in. (434.3 x 444.5 cm)
- Credit Line: Bequest of John Ringling, 1936
- Object Number: SN214
✨ Significance of the Piece
This commanding canvas brings together seven saints who, across centuries, defended the doctrine of the Real Presence—the belief that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. Rubens stages them like spiritual warriors, each embodying theological conviction and historical authority.
At the center stands Saint Clare of Assisi, portrayed with the features of Isabella Clara Eugenia, Rubens’ patron and the commissioner of the Triumph of the Eucharist series. Her presence links the painting’s devotional message to the political and spiritual mission of the Spanish Netherlands. Surrounding her are Church Fathers—Ambrose, Augustine, and Gregory the Great—alongside Saint Thomas Aquinas, who asserts the Eucharist’s doctrinal foundation, and Saint Norbert, known for his fierce defense of the sacrament during the Reformation. Saint Jerome, translator of the Vulgate, anchors the composition with scriptural authority.
The painting is a visual manifesto of Counter-Reformation theology, created around 1625 to affirm Catholic orthodoxy against Protestant challenges. Rubens uses dramatic chiaroscuro, dynamic poses, and rich color to elevate these figures into timeless defenders of faith. Their unity across eras underscores the Church’s continuity and the Eucharist’s central role in Catholic worship.