Gallery Two: Saints

We pray to saints to help us find our things, we pray to saints to watch down over us, and we pray to saints to steer us in the right direction. In the Roman Catholic Church, there are saints as numerous as the stars. The most famous saint we learned about in this class is Saint Mark, Venice’s patron saint and Venice’s protector. Venetian artists reviewed biblical accounts and applied them to their artwork.

We have artists featured, such as Titian, Vittore Carpaccio, Paolo Veronese, Giovanni Bellini, and Antonello da Messina. Titian created Saint Christopher and Saint Margaret and the Dragon. He used similar facial features and bright colors in both of his pieces. He painted Saint Christopher as a mighty human being carrying the baby Jesus across the sea. Saint Margaret and the Dragon tells the story of Saint Margaret protecting herself from the devil, in the form of a dragon, with a cross. The painting is not the same interpretation as the Bible because the Bible states that the dragon actually ate Margaret, and the dragon exploded as she made the sign of the cross inside the devil. Vittore Carpaccio created the Dream of Saint Ursula with depicted lighting as the angel, Gabriel, enters the room. He comes to deliver Saint Ursula a message about a future martyr. Veronese portrays Venice Enthroned with Justice, Peace & the Lion of St. Mark with characteristics that make Venice what it is, providing the Lion of Saint Mark as well as Justice and Peace. Giovanni Bellini paints Saint Francis in the Desert after receiving stigmata, the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. Antonello da Messina depicts the scene of Saint Jerome in his Study space by offering a scope into the saint’s living space as we are looking into a doll’s house.

The paintings are separated by artist and goes from oldest to youngest.