Arms of a Cistercian Abbot with St. Martin
Acquired by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), New York, and installed in his library 1907-9.
(above arms) Auxilium Meum a Domino (My help comes from the lord) (below arms) V[o]n Gottes Gnaden / Marttinus Abbte des gotshauss / [...]Bach (or:...tzach) 1609 (By God's grace, Martin, abbot of the monastery of [..]tzach 1606.
An elaborate coat of arms surmounted by a green miter commands the center of the panel. Putti recline at the base as well as fly above. The device is silhouetted against the string-decorated white ground. Flanking the arms is the story of St. Martin dividing his cloak with a beggar. The saint appears mounted to the left, his sword drawn to divide his cloak. A banderole with the Latin inscription “My help comes from the lord” stretches across the top, bring the viewer's attention to the beggar on the right. He stands, resting one leg on a knee-length crutch. The scene is framed by columns and surmounted by an arch supporting additional architecture. The bottom of the panel holds a cartouche with an inscription flanked by putti.