Designs for the Front and Back Cover of "L'Evangile de Notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ selon Saint Pierre"

The two drawings represent designs for the front and back cover of “L’Evangile de Notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ selon Saint Pierre”. Carlos Schwabe was responsible for the illustrations in the book as well, but these designs represent a private commission for a patron’s personal copy of the gospel. Both drawings show part of the spine on their left and right side respectively, indicating that they might have been conceived as one drawing originally. The design for the front cover shows the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, standing in a yellow-gold swirling cloudscape with partial view of the earth below. Mary carries the child in her arms and kisses it gently on the lips. The design for the back cover shows a floral composition which forms an allegory of the Life and Passion of Christ. In the center of the design a lily, symbol of the Immaculate Conception, is depicted. The stem of the flower is encircled by the Crown of Thorns which in turn is surrounded by flames. The flames connect to a border of passiflora along the edge of the sheet. Each flower contains a burning heart pierced by three nails, as a reference to the Arma Christi.