Trinity with the Canons

This panel painted on wood by the Master of Dunois around 1440 shows a group of Canons in prayer. At the centre, God the Father, Christ, and the dove of the Holy Spirit are depicted as a suffering Trinity, or "Throne of Grace". 

With his right hand, Christ points to his wound, emitting a powerful emotional intensity.  On either side, the 24 Canons are from Notre-Dame de Paris, 24 being an important number.

The individual characters, the varied postures and attitudes and the quality of the fabric rendering are the work of a Parisian artist, the Master of Dunois. Renowned for his sense of narration, virtuosity and knowledge of Flemish art of the same era (the "Throne of Grace" model is a legacy of the Flemish master Robert Campin), he worked for high dignities of the court in the years 1435 to 1466. 

This painted panel was created for the high altar of Notre-Dame Cathedral and was moved in modern times. During the Revolution, it was exhibited at the Musée des Monuments français, at the Couvent des Petits-Augustins, then added into the collections of the École des Beaux-Arts, which was set up the convent in 1816. 

Between January 2021 and May 2023, the Trinity with the Canons was restored by the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, with support from the Centre for Research and Restoration of Museums of France. The work carried out on the numerous missing elements of paint, lightening of varnishes and removing all the repainted parts have made the work more legible. 

Deposit from the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in 2024.