Flemish, 16th century

With Joanna Booth, London;

From whom acquired.

The present needlework panel depicts the Triumph of Eternity over Time. In this allegorical cycle, Petrarch recounts six successive victories, which he calls "Triumphs," including the Triumph of Love; of Chastity over Love; of Death over Chastity; of Fame over Death; of Time over Fame; and, ultimately, of Eternity over Time. In this final episode, Time is vanquished and Eternity prevails, ushering humankind into Heaven.

That moment is vividly rendered here: an angel leads the way for Christ, who rides in a chariot that tramples a skeleton—symbolizing the end of Time. Preceding him is a procession composed of a second angel, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, the traditional emblems of the four evangelists.

This panel was likely one episode from a larger narrative ensemble that may once have illustrated all six triumphs.