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| Souls Tormented in Purgatory - "..the place to which the dying man hopes
to go. There his soul, like those depicted, will be cleansed of sin in
expiating, if painful, fire. |
Catherine of Cleves (1417–1476)
married Arnold of Egmond (1410 –1473), becoming duchess of Guelders. Although
she bore her husband six children, the marriage was not happy.
War between husband and wife
was sparked by Arnold's disinheriting his only living son, Adolf (1438–1477;
rumor had it that Adolf accused his father of homosexuality). Catherine's
siding with her son in the conflict led to anarchy. The cities of Nijmegen, Zutphen,
and Arnhem supported Catherine and her son; Roermond sided with the duke. In
1465 mother and son imprisoned Arnold, forcing him to abdicate. Adolf, as duke,
spent six years in ceaseless struggles with his father's supporters.
In 1471 Catherine watched in
horror as Arnold secured his freedom and regained his title while Adolf was
imprisoned. Arnold died in 1473, disinheriting both wife and son. Catherine's
death in 1476 robbed her seeing the release of her son. Adolf's liberty was
short-lived; he died the next year.
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| Ten Thousand Martyrs and St. Acacius |
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| The artist made a playful parallel between Lawrence's method of martyrdom and the way fish are cooked |
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| Tree growing from Adam’s Grave |
