Saint Sirus, c. 1460
Vincenzo Foppaexpand_more
Tempera on panelexpand_more
The William Hood Dunwoody Fundexpand_more 66.37.1
On View in Gallery 343expand_more
During the Renaissance, altarpieces commonly portrayed biblical scenes, such as Madonna and Child, examples of which are in this gallery. These two paintings, Saint Sirus and Saint Paul, were likely part of a larger altarpiece made up of many panels, called a polyptych. The presence of a saint on an altarpiece could have a number of meanings. The saint could be the patron saint of the church or city that housed the altarpiece, for example. The key to identifying saints is to look closely at the attributes shown with them. Saint Sirus wears a mitre, the pointed headpiece, and holds a crozier, or ceremonial staff. These attributes indicate Saint Sirus was a bishop. Saint Paul is shown with his usual physical characteristics-receding hairline and long, brown beard; he is also holding a sword, his personal attribute.
Details
- Title
- Saint Sirus
- Artist Life
- Italian (Brescia), c. 1427/30 - 1515/16
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 66.37.1
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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