Sunday, March 18, 2012

40 Days of Lent: Day Twenty Six

Martyrs!

Hard to believe that the series has gone this far without any mention of martyrs.

Saints Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia


Saint John the Evangelist
(Saint John survived this.)


Saint James the Greater


Saint Simon The Apostle


Saint Bartholomew


It should be noted that we have little that can be verified regarding martyr's deaths; what we do know is the stuff of legend. But as legends they were well known enough top become part of the iconography of the saints, such that Michelangelo could depict Bartholomew holding his flayed skin in The Last Judgement.



All these images come from A Rome Art Lover's webpage. A great site.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm guessing that,unlike St. John, Saint James achieved martyrdom on the first try.


Andrea

the hanged man said...

I'm guessing that, when his martyrdom was complete, St. Simon was beside himself.