Flemish school of the 19th century, following models circa 1500

Flemish school of the 19th century, following models around 1500.
"The Sermon on the Mount" and "Jesus among the doctors".
Reliefs in oak wood.
Measurements: 47 x 49 x 5 cm.

The Sermon on the Mount, collected in chapters 5 to 7 of the Gospel of Matthew, is one of the fundamental texts of Christianity. Jesus, addressing a crowd from a hill near the Sea of Galilee, presents a synthesis of his ethical and spiritual message. This sermon includes the Beatitudes, where blessings are proclaimed to the poor in spirit, the meek and those who seek righteousness, subverting traditional notions of happiness and success. In addition, Jesus redefines the Mosaic Law, emphasizing an inner righteousness that transcends mere external observance. He teaches about love for the enemy, the importance of humility in prayer, and presents the Lord's Prayer as a model of communion with God. It also highlights the Golden Rule as a universal ethical principle: to treat others as one wishes to be treated. The Sermon on the Mount has found a special echo in painting, a medium that has captured its essence and transmitted its message down the centuries.

The theme of Jesus before the doctors is based on a passage from the Gospel of Luke, which recounts the presence of the young Jesus among the theologians or doctors of the Mosaic Law. The text narrates that Jesus, being twelve years old, got lost in Jerusalem, where he had gone with his parents on the occasion of the Jewish Passover. He then went to the Temple, where he spent a long time listening and questioning the doctors, who were amazed at his theological knowledge. It took Mary and Joseph three days to find him, and when they did, Mary expressed her concern and Jesus answered her with these words: "Why were you looking for me, did you not know that I must be about my Father's business? This is the last of the accounts of Jesus' childhood, and the only time he does not show himself obedient to his parents. In the Catholic interpretation, these three days that Jesus remains separated from Mary are taken as a sign of the future Redemption through the sacrifice on the cross.