The Last Communion Of Saint Bonaventure

Saint Bonaventure was a medieval Italian cardinal, philosopher, Franciscan bishop and a doctor of the church, titled as the "Seraphic Doctor". In Christian theology, the Seraphim are the highest order of angels, known for standing closest to god while burning with an intense divine love. Bonaventure's views differentiated from other contemporary and past theologians as his argument asserted that the ultimate goal of learning is to inflame the human heart with love for god, hence the title is derived from his fiery and love driven theological writings. He was born in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy and tradition holds that as a young child, he was miraculously cured from a severe illness after his mother prayed to Saint Francis of Assisi, who reportedly exclaimed "O Buona Venture" (meaning "good fortune"). The above artwork named as "The Last Communion of Saint Bonaventure" is a visual depiction of a profound narrative in Catholic art that captures the final hours of the saint before his demise in 1274 CE. A priest or bishop is depicted administering the Viaticum (the final holy communion given to a person dying; eating a small piece of bread alongside wine or grape juice to remember Christ). A somber crowd surrounds the saint on his deathbed, showing figures such as Pope Gregory X and King James I of Aragon, who are deeply concerned. Jose Juarez integrates one of the most fascinating aspects in this piece as he creates a painting within the painting, which was later coined as the term "mise en abyme" by Andre Gide; the French literary author and novelist. Literally, the term translates to "placed into the abyss" and medieval artists of the baroque era used this technique as an ultimate display of skill, sometimes even painting miniature art galleries within canvases entirely. This smaller window of vision within the composition tells a famous Eucharistic miracle from his life, when Bonaventure was once overwhelmed by his own unworthiness and profound humility that he voluntarily refrained from stepping forward to receive Holy Communion. God sent an angel from heaven to miraculously bring the consecrated host directly from the altar and place it into Bonaventure's mouth. Jose Juarez employs symbolic imagery as well through the dove which represents the holy spirit and heaven overhead, hinting about Bonaventure's death. Jose Juarez's style is much more dynamic and sentimental compared to his father, Luis Juarez, which makes his practice quite significant in order to study how individual artistic lineages carried forward the traditions of devotional and iconographical Christian images. Overall, the artwork is essential for studying the evolution of colonial Mexican baroque paintings.