Retable d'Issenheim Matthias Grünewald

Through four meetings, Jean Clergue-Vila tried to make us perceive the Isenheim Altarpiece with a particular vision, or even singular.  From a crucifixion paradoxically without cross bore but very rich of symbols and teachings, we have progressed through rigorous constructions and sacred geometry, leading to the formation of a true pentacle of magic nature.   Inner panels were suggestive of an alchemical progression leading, on the one hand to Divine Conception, on the other hand to a possible personal path of spiritual realization.  This fifth part could be the one of thought and interrogations. If we have been led by the painter and his antonines silent partner, this is not without reasons which remains to discover. During an aloud meditation, Jean Clergue-Vila will express his personal feelings, his suggestions, his proposals.

In the forth part of the exploration of the Isenheim Altarpiece, Jean Clergue-Vila talks about the panel of "Nativity" - representation extending the "Divine Conception" of alchemical nature.   The Virgin to the child becomes the archetype of mother mediating divine, the one that followers meet, great Travelers, searching for their linked entities which comes in the form of angel couples sexed to lead them, to a kind of light Kingdom.

In this third 57-minutes part, Jean Clergue-Vila deciphers the theme of "divine conception" in the famous Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece. Starting from the crucifixion of the Christ and his sufferings, he develops the different steps of inner initiation of man who has to go through purification to reach illumination and make the unification of earth and sky in his flesh.  For that, he tries an alchemical interpretation of two panels, the "concert of angels" and the "Virgin to the child", which are as many hierarchical necessary entities on the salvation scale.

In this second 68-minutes part, Jean Clergue-Vila continues to decipher for BAGLIS TV the  Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece.
From a center of harmony revealed by drew with a line, it reminds the part of earth and sky which constitutes each art piece. He comes back on the symbolic of the Gold Number and divine proportions which are so many signs of a sacred intention of initiated artist.
Through an esotericist reading of the octagon figure, he describes the long passage from the square to the circle, that is to say the inner way of the future follower who has to make experience of his metanoia thanks to theurgical energies.

Painted by Matthias Grünewald (1512-1516), Isenheim Altarpiece comes from the convent of the Antonines in Isenheim where it decorated the high altar of commandery church.

Composed of many panels, it is dedicated to to Saint Anthony and is now exposed in the museum of Unterlinden in Colmar.

Jean Clergue-Vila deciphered it for us.

In this first part called "the crucifixion without the cross", it wanted to explore the concept of crucification of Jesus according to Matthias Grünewald.