Tuesday, January 19, 2016

European paintings of costumed saints, 15th-17th centuries

Carlo Crivelli
St George
1472
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Francisco de Zurbarán
St Elisabeth of Portugal
ca. 1635
Prado

Fashion as depicted in European paintings often conveyed extreme states of holiness. Expensive fabrics and jewels and gold identified the blessed ones. Painters understandably loved to elaborate the connection between finery and sanctity.

Gaspar de Crayer
St Ambrose
ca. 1655
Prado

Carletto Veronese
Santa Águeda
ca. 1590-93
Prado

Luis de Carvajal
St Nicolas of Tolentina
1604
Prado

Paolo Veronese
St Catherine of Alexandria in Prison
ca. 1580-85
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Juan Ribalta
St John the Evangelist
ca. 1618-24
Prado

Robert Campin
St Barbara
1438
Prado

Juan de Juanes
St Stephen Accused of Blasphemy
1562
Prado

Bartolomeo Montagna
St Justina of Padua
1490s
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Antonio de Pereda
St Angelo
ca. 1667
Prado

Severe monastic costumes and varieties of other humble dark robes could be adjusted, it was discovered, to convey the same signals of inbuilt superiority as gorgeous outward finery.

Juan Bautista Maíno
Santo Domingo en Soriano
ca. 1629
Prado

Juan Bautista Maíno
Santo Domingo de Guzmán
ca. 1612-14
Prado

Juan Bautista Maíno
Santa Catalina de Siena
ca. 1612-14
Prado

I am grateful for the beautiful reproductions made available by Museo del Prado.