St. Bernard of Clairvaux

German, circa 1500
Getty Center, Los Angleles, California

St. Bernard is pictured with the tonsure and white habit of the Cistercian order. The crozier in his left arm is a symbol of his authority as an abbot, but there are none of the several attributes commonly used to identify him.

The peaceful scene in the background appears to be an idealization of the monastic life. It does not reflect the actual state of the abbey at Clairvaux in 1500, which was much more grand.

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Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.