The Holy Trinity is the encapsulation of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost into one being. In the Renaissance, the Holy Trinity came to be represented as a figure of God holding the crucified Christ, between them the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove. Masaccio's Holy Trinity at Santa Maria Novella in Florence (1427) provides an exceptional example of this subject type. Albrecht Dürer's Adoration of the Holy Trinity (1508—1511; Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum) and El Greco's Holy Trinity (1577— 1579; Madrid, Prado), a painting inspired by Dürer's version, also provide noteworthy examples of the theme.
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.