Jan van Scorel: 12 Members of the Haarlem Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims (1528)

(Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, The Netherlands)

Jan van Scorel was an important Dutch painter from the 16th century. His work consists of religious works and portraits. Jan van Scorel also travelled to other countries like Germany, Italy and eventually also to Israel were he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This pilgrimage made him a member of the Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims of Haarlem, the town were he lived. This group was responsible for escorting a wooden statue of Christ on an ass on each Palm Sunday. He made several portraits of the members of this group, all in this style. Depicted here are 12 members of the groups, each of the arranged in the chronological order of their pilgrimage (from left to right). Each of the them is also holding a palm branch, or a Jerusalem feather. Above each member is their coats-of-arms and motto. Below the group are inscribed sheets of paper which lists deceased members of the Brotherhood, identifies the persons, testifies that he visited Christ's grave and offers a supplication or a prayer. on the far left a servant is holding a picture of the Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem, the goal of the pilgrimage  each of them made. Jan van Scorel is also present on the painting, he is the third figure from the right, dressed as a canon. Painting from around 1528.