Explore the Saints and Angel about the Virgin and Child of the Subject in this artwork.
Saints and Angel In the painting, four saints are shown: two sets of paired male and female saints. Furthest to the left of the composition is Saint Peter (pictured carrying the bible and the keys of heaven). Saint Peter is also seen with a yellow-orange mantle, which was finished with an arsenic sulfide mineral pigment. To the right is Saint Catherine of Alexandria who is seen holding the palm of martyrdom while leaning on a breaking wheel, a symbol of God's protection. Saint Catherine is dresses in dark green colors that were a combination of lead-tin yellow, lead white, and verdigris pigments; it was finished with a deep, dark green glaze for vibrance. These pigments demonstrated the wealth of the church but also the skill of Bellini to create such beautiful colors with his paints.On the other side of Mary stands Saint Lucy, the saint of light, also holding a palm of martyrdom and a glass lamp in her other hand. The palm for both is intended to represent the suffering the two went through when they chose their faith over body. In addition, the glass lamp that Saint Lucy holds reflects the fact that Lucy would often give food to the poor at night, using a lamp for light.Lastly, on the far right is Saint Jerome portrayed in a red, reading a book that could represent the Vulgate, or Latin translation of the Bible which Saint Jerome translated himself. Saint Jerome's robe was painted using red lake and vermilion pigments.The billowing robes on Saint Peter and Saint Jerome were painted with volume and shadow to enhance their size and male figure, contrasting the female saints. The bilaterally symmetrical arrangement of the saints is further enhanced by the fact that the two female saints are show in profile and closest to the Madonna, while the two male saints, located on the outer edges of the composition are show facing frontal while their gazes are cast down.Finally, in the center, an angel sits on the bottom step of the marble throne playing the lira de braccio, a violin-like instrument. The instrument is shown with seven strings instead of the typical nine strings on other instruments which is meant to represent the seven other planets. The music-making angel is pictured with its lira de braccio to allow the audience to imagine its peaceful tune in the tranquil environment and to offer comfort. The angel wears a combination of cool green and warm pinks, colors and tones that are observed throughout the painting: in the mosaic above, the nearby landscape, and the surrounding architecture. Each figure in the painting serves it own purpose but the angel is the only figure clearly looking out at the viewer, adding a tone of inclusion.
Vulgate breaking wheel palm of martyrdom Saint Lucy keys of heaven Jerome Catherine of Alexandria composition Saint Catherine of Alexandria Saint Peter Saint Jerome