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| St. John Nepomuk Bandera Natural History and Art Museum—New Spain Art Hall |
St. John Nepomuk (neh-poh-mook) is an intriguing saint who appears in a thought-provoking number of Colonial Spain art galleries. It is curious to wonder how this Bohemian saint showed up 200-400 years later in portraits, statues, and paintings in New Spain!
A Bit of History
Conflict with the King of Bohemia
St. John Nepomuk was born in a town called Pomuk (now Nepomuk) in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic) in 1345. He later became a priest in Bohemia and was assigned to the cathedral in Prague. This 40-something year old priest ran into some trouble with the King of Bohemia, King Wenceslas IV. King Wenceslas strove to be a devout Catholic; he would even have an illuminated Bible created: The Wenceslas Bible—close to (plausibly overlapping) the time of conflict with Fr. John Nepomuk! While he professed to be a devout Christian, he also pressed for significant influence within the Church. He was not happy when Fr. John of Nepomuk resisted his power plays.
Pressure to Break the Seal of Confession
Later, in 1393, Fr. John Nepomuk heard the confession of the King's 17-ish-year-old wife, Sophia of Bavaria. This really irritated the already-annoyed king. He demanded to know what his wife said in the confessional, but, Fr. John Nepomuk obeyed the strict rule of confidentiality. King Wenceslaus tried torturing the good priest—no to avail. Finally, this not-so-good King Wenceslas had the faithful priest thrown into the Vltava River in Prague, where John Nepomuk drowned. Accounts assert that five glowing stars shone at the spot. Soon, miracles were reported and the steadfast priest was quickly recognized by the Bohemian people as a saint. (He was officially canonized in 1729.)
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| St. John Nepomuk Bandera Natural History and Art Museum—New Spain Art Hall |
Symbols of the Painting:
- The 5 stars above St. John Nepomuk's head symbolize the stars that shone over the site of his drowning.
- The cross symbolizes his love for Jesus and his devotion to the Faith.
- The palm branch identifies him as a martyr for the Faith.
¡¿Why is St. John Nepomuk so Popular in Colonial Spain?!
Again ... why would this medieval priest gain such popularity in New Spain?
Here's one strong possibility: historian, archivist, writer, geographer, college instructor, researcher, editor, and Jesuit priest, Fr. Bohuslav BalbÃn compiled a book on the life of John of Nepomuk in 1670. This was the era of the Counter-Reformation, and the story of Fr. John Nepomuk's devotion-despite-death greatly inspired many who remained Catholic. It seems he became somewhat of a hero for those defending the Faith. And, perhaps due to the credibility of the Jesuit priest and author, Fr. Bohuslav BalbÃn, the Jesuits felt a renewed inspiration from the book and began to embrace John Nepomuk as a perfect role model for priests and all Christians. Perhaps when the many Jesuit missionaries arrived in Colonial Spain, they promoted art pieces of John Nepomuk as a way to enrich catechism lessons, share the Faith, and to help encourage John Nepomuk's official canonization.
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| Devotional Painting by Nicolas Enriquez; New Spain, 1776 Note the four Jesuits with St. John Nepomuk: St. Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and St. Stanislaus Kostka. Bandera Natural History and Art Museum—New Spain Art Hall |
St. John Nepomuk is the patron saint of:
Priests Hearing Confessions
Catholics Going to Confession
The Seal of the Confessional
Victims of Slander
Floods and Drowning
Times of Conflict Between Church and State
The Feast of St. John Nepomuk is March 20.
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More Examples of St. John Nepomuk Portrayed in Colonial Spain Art:
St. John Nepomuk
San Antonio Museum of Art—Latin America Art Gallery
*Note the angel with his finger to his lips—this symbolizes
John Nepomuk's refusal to break the Seal of Confession.
San Antonio Museum of Art—Latin America Art Gallery
*Note the angel with his finger to his lips—this symbolizes
John Nepomuk's refusal to break the Seal of Confession.
St. John of Nepomuk at the Colonial Museum; Bogotá, Colombia
Saint John of Nepomuk by José de Páez; New Spain, 1770
St. John Nepomuk; 1700s — National Museum of History, Chapultepec Castle
→St. John Nepomuk is sometimes called: St. John Nepomucene (neh-POH-moo-seen).
→In New Spain, he was likely called: San Juan Nepomuceno (neh-poh-moo-seh-noh).
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About the Good King Wenceslas—The Good King Wenceslas was actually the Duke Wenceslas I—also of Bohemia, and hundreds of years earlier (907–935). He later became St. Wenceslas. You can learn his story and read the lyrics to the Christmas song written in his honor here.
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