08 works, Today, July 31st, is Joseph of Arimathea's day, his story thru art #212

Unknown artist

St. Joseph of Arimathea

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Christ being taken down from His Cross by St. Joseph of Arimathea, the Theotokos, St. John the Theologian, and the Myrrh-bearing

Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. He was a wealthy member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and a secret follower of Christ;  which is why he did not join in the Council's actions against Jesus.

Unknown artist

Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body of Jesus Christ

Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St.John the Baptist of Washington DC.

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

After the death of Jesus, Joseph asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus' body and bury it properly. Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph.

Unknown artist

Descent from the cross, c. 14th century

Byzantine icon

Church of Agia Marina, Kalopanagiotis, Cyprus

Joseph of Arimathea is the figure standing in the center, in blue-green robes holding the Body of Christ.

Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.

Pietro Perugino, (1448–1523)

Lamentation over the Dead Christ, c. 1495

Oil on panel

Height: 220 cm (86.6 in); Width: 195 cm (76.7 in)

Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Pietro Perugino  (1448–1523)
Lamentation over the Dead Christ, c. 1495
Detail of Joseph of Arimathea
Oil on panel
Height: 220 cm (86.6 in); Width: 195 cm (76.7 in)
Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Pietro Perugino (1446/1452 – 1523), born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael was his most famous pupil.

He was born Pietro Vannucci in Città della Pieve, Umbria, the son of Cristoforo Marie Vannucci. His nickname characterizes him as from Perugia, the chief city of Umbria. Scholars continue to dispute the socioeconomic status of the Vannucci family. While certain academics maintain that Vannucci worked his way out of poverty, others argue that his family was among the wealthiest in the town. His exact date of birth is not known, but based on his age at death that was mentioned by Vasari and Giovanni Santi, it is believed that he was born between 1446 and 1452. More on Pietro Perugino

They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified. They buried Jesus in an unused tomb that St. Joseph intended for himself, where it was protected by a heavy stone rolled against the opening. 

Unknown artist

Chirst Placed in Tomb Mary Joseph of Airmetihia 

Mosaic 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre Jerusalem

Attributed to Italian School

Joseph of Arimathea Receiving the Body of Christ, about 1550

Oil on panel

29.5 x 22.5 cm cm

Bury Art Gallery Museum and Archive

In this depiction of the scene preparatory to the Entombment of Christ the body is surrounded by figures before the tomb. The body is supported under the arms by a young man usually identified as St John. The Madonna stands behind Christ with her head lowered and her hands gesturing in despair. Mary Magdalene kneeling in the left foreground kisses Christ's hand, and the third Mary is also present in the left background. This composition closely follows Italian prototypes from the sixteenth century. The modelling of the torso of Christ also suggests a date after Michelangelo in the Mannerist style. More on this work

Italian School, 16th Century. The first two decades of the 16th century witnessed the harmonious balance and elevated conception of High Renaissance style, perfected in Florence and Rome by Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. It brought together a seamless blend of form and meaning. In Venice, Bellini, Giorgione, and Titian devoted themselves to an art that was more sensual, with luminous color and a tactile handling of paint, preoccupations that would attract Venetian artists for generations, including Tintoretto and Veronese later in the century.

In the 1520s, Florence and Rome, but not Venice, saw a stylistic shift following the social and political upheaval ensuing from the disastrous Sack of Rome. Mannerism, as practiced by Bronzino, Pontormo, and Rosso, was a self-consciously elegant style that traded naturalism for artifice, employing unnaturally compressed space, elongated figures, and acid color. While mannerism became popular internationally, and lingered in northern Europe, by around 1580 it had fallen out of favor in Italy. One factor was the desire of the Church, challenged by the Protestant Revolution, to connect with the faithful. In place of mannerism’s ingenuous complications and artificiality, the Counter-Reformation Church required painting that was direct and emotionally resonant. The “reform of painting,” as it was called, was launched by two brothers and a cousin in Bologna: Annibale, Agostino, and Lodovico Carracci. They established an academy that emphasized drawing from life and looked to inspiration from Titian and other Renaissance masters, restoring the naturalism and classical balance of the early 16th century. More Italian School, 16th Century

The story that Joseph was related to Jesus may originate from the tradition that the senior male relative of a crucified person was obliged to deal with the body. Jesus' father was no longer around, so if Joseph of Arimathea did volunteer for the task, that suggests that he must have been related to Jesus in some important way. 

William Blake

Joseph of Arimathea preaching to the inhabitants of Britain, c. 1796

British Museum

William Blake (November 28, 1757 - August 12, 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake's work is now considered seminal in the history of both poetry and the visual arts.

Blake's prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the (English) language". His visual artistry has led one modern critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced".


Although he only once travelled any further than a day's walk outside London over the course of his life, his creative vision engendered a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced 'imagination' as "the body of God", or "Human existence itself". More on William Blake

One of the abiding legends of early English Christianity is that Joseph of Arimathea visited the West Country of England with the teenage Jesus. Both Somerset and Cornwall claim to have been visited by Joseph and Jesus.

Unknown artist

Jesus & Joseph of Arimathea on holiday in Glastonbury

Pilton church, Barnstaple in Devon

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Another legend states that Joseph of Arimathea became a missionary after the death of Jesus and was eventually sent to England to preach the Gospel. He took with him the Holy Grail, and his pilgrim's staff. More on Joseph of Arimathea

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, and 365 Saints, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

 If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

 Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

 Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

11 works, Today, July 30th, is Martyr Mamas' day, his story thru art #211

Elder Hadji-Georgis

Saint Mamas Martyr of Caesarea

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

The Holy Great Martyr Mamas was born in Paphlagonia, Asia Minor, in the third century of pious and illustrious parents, Theodotus and Rufina. The parents of the saint were arrested by the pagans for their open confession of their faith and locked up in prison in Caesarea in Cappadocia.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, (1618-1682

Saint Mamas mother St. Rufina of Caesarea, c. 1665

Oil on canvas

Height: 93 cm (36.6 in); Width: 66 cm (25.9 in)

Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (born late December 1617, baptized January 1, 1618 – April 3, 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children. These lively, realist portraits of flower girls, street urchins, and beggars constitute an extensive and appealing record of the everyday life of his times. More on Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

Knowing his own bodily weakness, Theodotus prayed that the Lord would take him before being subjected to tortures. The Lord heard his prayer and he died in prison. Saint Rufina died also after him, after giving birth to a premature son. She entrusted him to God, beseeching Him to be the Protector and Defender of the orphaned infant.

Elder Hadji-Georgis

Saint Mamas Martyr of Caesarea

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Elder Hadji-Georgis (1809–1886) was one of the greatest Elders of Mount Athos during the nineteenth century.

In the face of Hadji-Georgis, people saw a divine radiance and they easily opened up their suffering hearts and were healed. Everyone spoke with wonder and reverence about the Elder. Greek and Slav Athonite monks recognized him for his asceticism and the sanctity which he dispersed and radiated on Athos.…

It is not important that our Church still has not declared him a Saint in order to give him a halo. That which is very important is the radiant life of the Elder, his simple and innocent, silent example. He was full of virtues and divine strengths, which he offered together with himself in order to help his fellow man.

He performed miracles, he saw divine visions, and he also had the gift of spiritual perception. He had an abundance of grace from God.… When his holy relics were disinterred, an indescribable fragrance exuded from them.” — Elder Paisios

God heard the dying prayer of Saint Rufina: a rich Christian widow named Ammia reverently buried the bodies of Saints Theodotus and Rufina, and she took the boy into her own home and raised him as her own son. Saint Mamas grew up in the Christian Faith. His foster mother concerned herself with the developing of his natural abilities, and early on she sent him off to study.

The boy learned easily and willingly. He was not of an age of mature judgment but distinguished himself by maturity of mind and of heart. By means of prudent conversations and personal example young Mamas converted many of his own peers to Christianity.

Daniel Voshart

Emperor Aurelian (270-275)

Presumed portrait 

PBA Auctions

The governor, Democritus, was informed of this, and the fifteen-year-old Mamas was arrested and brought to trial. In deference to his illustrious parentage, Democritus decided not to subject him to torture, but instead sent him off to the emperor Aurelian (270-275). 

Francesco dei Franceschi, Italian, Venice, documented 1445–1456

Saint Mamas before Aurelian, ca. 1450

Tempera on panel

47.9 × 35.6 × 3 cm (18 7/8 × 14 × 1 3/16 in.)

The Yale University Art Gallery.

Francesco de' Franceschi (fl. 1443 – 1468) was an Italian Renaissance painter. His exact dates of birth and death are not known.

Not much is known about Francesco de' Franceschi's except through his works. He primarily painted religious-themed works for church commissions. His style shows influence from Michele Giambono, and it is possible that he collaborated with Antonio Vivarini in Venice. An altarpiece which was most likely from a church in Padua or Venice and now is in the Museo Civico, Padua (1447) has been attributed to him. Two panels St. Mary Magdalen and St Catherine of Alexandria are located in the Ashmolean Museum. More on Francesco de' Franceschi

The emperor tried at first kindly, but then with threats to turn Saint Mamas back to the pagan faith, but all in vain. The saint bravely confessed himself a Christian and pointed out the madness of the pagans in their worship of lifeless idols.

Fra Filippo Lippi and workshop, 1406; died 1469

Saint Mamas in Prison thrown to the Lions, c. 1455-60

Predella Panel

GroupThe Pistoia Santa Trinità Altarpiece

Egg tempera, tempera grassa and oil on wood

27 x 39.5 cm

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London

This large altarpiece – one of the few in the National Gallery which is almost complete – has had an eventful life. It was commissioned in 1455 from the Florentine painter Francesco Pesellino, and is his only surviving documented work. He died in 1457 and it was finished by Fra Filippo Lippi and his workshop. We know a lot about how and why it was made from the records of the confraternity who commissioned it.

From 1465 it sat on the high altar of the church of the Holy Trinity at Pistoia, but in 1793 the confraternity was suppressed and the altarpiece was taken apart, with the main panel sawn into pieces, and dispersed. Most of it was gradually acquired by the National Gallery and the altarpiece reassembled. More on this work

Fra' Filippo Lippi, O.Carm. (c. 1406 – 8 October 1469), also called Lippo Lippi, was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento (15th century). He was brought up as an unwanted child in the Carmelite friary of the Carmine, where he took his vows in 1421. Unlike the Dominican Fra Angelico, however, Lippi was a reluctant friar and had a scandalous love affair with a nun. The couple was released from their vows and allowed to marry, but Lippi still signed himself "Frater Philippus". His biography is one of the most colourful in Vasari's Lives and has given rise to the picture of a wordly Renaissance artist, rebelling against the discipline of the Church. 

From about 1440, however, his style changed direction, becoming more linear and preoccupied with decorative motifs. Lippi is associated with the form of tondi, a format he was among the first to use. Another formal innovation with which Lippi is closely associated is the "sacra conversazione" - his Barbadori Altarpiece is sometimes claimed as the earliest example of the type.

Filippo Lippi was not dedicated to the study of nature firsthand; instead, he depended largely upon painted and sculptured prototypes, and his figures are often inorganic and unanatomical,

Lippi was highly regarded in his day and his influence is seen in the work of numerous artists, most notably Botticelli, who was probably his pupil. Four centuries later he was one of the major sources for the second wave of Pre-Raphaelitism. More Fra' Filippo Lippi, O.Carm

Infuriated, the emperor subjected the youth to cruel tortures. They tried to drown the saint, but an angel of the Lord saved Saint Mamas and bade him live on a high mountain in the wilderness, not far from Caesarea. Bowing to the will of God, the saint built a small church there and began to lead a life of strict temperance, in exploits of fasting and prayer.

Unknown artist

St. Mamas milking deer to make cheese to feed the poor

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Soon he received a remarkable power over the forces of nature: wild beasts inhabiting the surrounding wilderness gathered at his abode and listened to the reading of the Holy Gospel. Saint Mamas nourished himself on the milk of wild goats and deer.

The saint did not ignore the needs of his neighbors. Preparing cheese from this milk, he gave it away freely to the poor. Soon the fame of Saint Mamas’s life spread throughout all of Caesarea.

Unknown artist

Saint Mamas, accompanied by a lion

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

The governor sent a detachment of soldiers to arrest him. When they encountered Saint Mamas on the mountain, the soldiers did not recognize him, and mistook him for a simple shepherd. The saint then invited them to his dwelling, gave them a drink of milk and then told them his name, knowing that death for Christ awaited him. The servant of God told the servant of the Emperor to go on ahead of him into Caesaria, promising that he would soon follow. The soldiers waited for him at the gates of the city, and Saint Mamas, accompanied by a lion, met them there.

Unknown artist

St. Mamas being thrown into the flames

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Surrendering himself into the hands of the torturers, Saint Mamas was brought to trial under a deputy governor named Alexander, who subjected him to intense and prolonged tortures. They did not break the saint’s will, however. He was strengthened by the words addressed to him from above: “Be strong and take courage, Mamas.”

Unknown artist

The Martyrdom of St. Mamas the Great Martyr

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

When they threw Saint Mamas to the wild beasts, these creatures would not touch him. Finally, one of the pagan priests struck him with a trident. Mortally wounded, Saint Mamas went out beyond the city limits. There, in a small stone cave, he gave up his spirit to God, Who in the hearing of all summoned the holy Martyr Mamas into His heavenly habitation. He was buried by believers at the place of his death. More on Martyr Mamas

Jean Cousin, (1500–1589)

St Mammes and Duke Alexander, c. 1541

(according to the inscription woven into the bottom of the present tapestry; strictly speaking, however, it should be Aurelian)

Tapestry

Height: 440 cm (14.4 ft); Width: 450 cm (14.7 ft)

Louvre Museum 

Jean Cousin (1500 – before 1593) was a French painter, sculptor, etcher, engraver, and geometrician. He is known as "Jean Cousin the Elder" to distinguish him from his son Jean Cousin the Younger, also an artist.

Cousin was born at Soucy, near Sens, and began his career in his native town with the study of glass-painting under Jean Hympe and Grassot. At the same time, he studied mathematics and published a successful book on the subject. He also wrote on geometry in his student days. In 1530 Cousin finished the windows for Sens Cathedral, the subject chosen being the "Legend of St. Eutropius". He also painted the windows of many of the noble châteaux in and around the city.

In Paris Cousin continued his career as a glass-painter, and created his best-known work, the windows of the Sainte-Chapelle in Vincennes. He subsequently devoted himself to painting in oil, and has been claimed as the first Frenchman to use that new medium. 

He was also an illustrator of books, making many designs for woodcuts and often executed them himself. The "Bible", published in 1596 by Le Clerc, and the Metamorphoses and Epistles of Ovid (1566 and 1571 respectively) contain his most noted work as an illustrator. He also created sculptures. In addition to his early writings on mathematics, he published, in 1560, a treatise on perspective, and, in 1571, a work on portrait-painting. During his life Cousin enjoyed the favour of and worked for four kings of France: Henry II, Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III.

He died at Sens, but the date of his death is uncertain. More Jean Cousin 

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

06 works, Today, July 29th, is Saint Lazarus' day, his story thru art #210

Unknown artist

Saint Lazarus

Colour lithograph

Wellcome Trust

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus, is the subject of a prominent sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death. The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions offer varying accounts of the later events of his life.

The raising of Lazarus at Bethany – today the Palestinian town of Al-Eizariya, which translates to "the place of Lazarus"  exemplifying the power of Jesus "over the last and most irresistible enemy of humanity—death. 

The Master of Perea

Saint Lazarus with his sisters Marta and María, c. 1501-1525

Oil on canvas

Height = 177 cm; Width = 165.50 cm

Lazaro Galdiano Museum, Madrid, Spain

The Master of Perea, was a contemporary in Valencia of the painters Paolo de San Leocadio, Bartolomé Bermejo, Rodrigo de Osona and his son Francisco among others, is characterised by his mastery of the oil technique and his interest in the depiction of detail of a clearly northern type. More on The Master of Perea

Lazarus is identified as the brother of the sisters Mary and Martha. The sisters send word to Jesus that Lazarus, "he whom thou lovest," is ill. Instead of immediately traveling to Bethany, according to the narrator, Jesus intentionally remains where he is for two more days before beginning the journey.

Jacopo Tintoretto,  (1519–1594)

Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary 

Oil on canvas

Height: 197 cm (77.5 in); Width: 129 cm (50.7 in)

Alte Pinakothek ,  Munich, Germany

Tintoretto; born Jacopo Comin, (October, 1518 – May 31, 1594) was an Italian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso. His work is characterized by its muscular figures, dramatic gestures, and bold use of perspective in the Mannerist style, while maintaining color and light typical of the Venetian School.

In his youth, Tintoretto was also known as Jacopo Robusti as his father had defended the gates of Padua in a way that others called robust, against the imperial troops during the War of the League of Cambrai (1509–1516). His real name "Comin" has only recently been discovered by Miguel Falomir, the curator of the Museo del Prado, Madrid, and was made public on the occasion of the retrospective of Tintoretto at the Prado in 2007. More on Tintoretto

When Jesus arrives in Bethany, he finds that Lazarus is dead and has already been in his tomb for four days. He meets first with Martha and Mary in turn. Martha laments that Jesus did not arrive soon enough to heal her brother and Jesus replies with the well-known statement, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die". 

Carl Heinrich Bloch, (1834–1890)

Raising of Lazarus by Jesus, c. 1870s

Oil on Copper Plate

41" x 33"

Hope Gallery, Salt Lake City

Carl Heinrich Bloch (23 May 1834 – 22 February 1890) was a Danish painter.

He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Art. His only interest was drawing and painting, and he was consumed by the idea of becoming an artist. He went to Italy to study art, passing through the Netherlands, where he became acquainted with the work of Rembrandt, which became a major influence on him. 

His early work featured rural scenes from everyday life. From 1859 to 1866, Bloch lived in Italy, and this period was important for the development of his historical style.

His first great success was the exhibition of his "Prometheus Unbound" in Copenhagen in 1865. After the death of Marstrand, he finished the decoration of the ceremonial hall at the University of Copenhagen. 

He was then commissioned to produce 23 paintings for the King's Chapel at Frederiksborg Palace. These were all scenes from the life of Christ which have become very popular as illustrations. The originals, painted between 1865 and 1879, are still at Frederiksborg Palace.

Bloch died of cancer on 22 February 1890. His death came as "an abrupt blow for Nordic art" according to an article by Sophus Michaelis. Michaelis stated that "Denmark has lost the artist that indisputably was the greatest among the living." Kyhn stated in his eulogy at Bloch's funeral that "Bloch stays and lives." More on Carl Bloch 

In the presence of a crowd of mourners, Jesus comes to the tomb. Over the objections of Martha, Jesus has them roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb and says a prayer. 

Duccio di Buoninsegna  (1255–1319)

The Raising of Lazarus, between circa 1310 and circa 1311

Tempera and gold on panel

Height: 46 cm (18.1 in) Edit this at Wikidata; Width: 43 cm (16.9 in) Edit this at Wikidata

Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas

Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255–1260 – c. 1318–1319) was an Italian painter active in Siena, Tuscany, in the late 13th and early 14th century. He was hired throughout his life to complete many important works in government and religious buildings around Italy. Duccio is considered one of the greatest Italian painters of the Middle Ages, and is credited with creating the painting styles of Trecento and the Sienese school. He also contributed significantly to the Sienese Gothic style.

Where Duccio studied, and with whom, is still a matter of great debate. Many believe that he studied under Cimabue, while others think that maybe he had actually traveled to Constantinople himself and learned directly from a Byzantine master.

Little is known of his painting career prior to 1278, when at the age of 23 he is recorded as having painted twelve account book cases. Although Duccio was active from 1268 to about 1311 only approximately 13 of his works survive today. More on Duccio di Buoninsegna

He then calls Lazarus to come out and Lazarus does so, still wrapped in his grave-cloths. Jesus then calls for someone to remove the grave-cloths, and let him go.

Six days before the Passover on which Jesus is crucified, Jesus returns to Bethany and Lazarus attends a supper that Martha, his sister, serves. Jesus and Lazarus together attract the attention of many Jews and the narrator states that the chief priests consider having Lazarus put to death because so many people are believing in Jesus on account of this miracle.

Matthias Stom, (fl. 1615–1649)

Christ before Caiaphas, c. early 1630s

Oil on canvas

Height: 142.2 cm (56 in); Width: 184.7 cm (72.7 in)

Milwaukee Art Museum

Matthias Stom or Matthias Stomer (c. 1600 – after 1652) was a Dutch golden age painter considered one of the masters of Utrecht Caravaggism. Stom spent most of his artistic life in Italy, and 200 of his works have been preserved. It is conjectured that Stom was born at Amersfoort or in the Utrecht area, but many details of his life are vague. An early mention of Stom was around 1630, when he lived in the same location as Paulus Bor had lived a few years earlier. He was a pupil of Gerard van Honthorst in Rome after 1615.

He remained in Rome until 1632, after which he traveled to Naples, where he stayed until 1640. He then moved to Palermo, and delivered paintings for churches in Caccamo and Monreale. He sold three paintings to Antonio Ruffo, duke of Messina. It is speculated that he died in Sicily, or alternatively in Northern Italy, where in 1652 he painted an altar piece for the church in Chiuduno. More on Matthias Stom

The miracle of the raising of Lazarus, leads directly to the decision of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus.

According to Eastern Orthodox Church tradition, sometime after the Resurrection of Christ, Lazarus was forced to flee Judea because of rumoured plots on his life and came to Cyprus. There he was appointed by Barnabas and Paul the Apostle as the first bishop of present day Larnaka. He lived there for thirty more years, and on his death was buried there for the second and last time

In the West Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were "put out to sea by the Jews hostile to Christianity in a vessel without sails, oars, or helm, and after a miraculous voyage landed in Provence at a place called today the Saintes-Maries." The family is then said to separate and go in different parts of southeastern Gaul to preach; Lazarus goes to Marseilles. Converting many people to Christianity there, he becomes the first Bishop of Marseille. During the persecution of Domitian, he is imprisoned and beheaded in a cave beneath the prison Saint-Lazare. More on Lazarus

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, and 365 Saints, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

 If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

 Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

 Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

12 works, Today, July 28th, is Saint Eustace's day, his story thru art #209

Unknown artist

Saint Eustace, c. 17C

Patmos island

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Saint Eustace, also known as Eustachius or Eustathius in Latin, is revered as a Christian martyr. 

Unknown artist

St Eustace and his family

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

In the 13th century French tradition of the narrative, it begins with Placidus (Eustace's name before he was baptized) hunting, and while hunting, he follows into woods a deer which causes Placidus to separate from a group of hunters. 

Pisanello, (1395–1455) 

The Vision of Saint Eustace, c. 1436-1438

Tempera on wood

Height: 53 cm (20.8 in); Width: 65 cm (25.5 in)

National Gallery 

Pisanello (c. 1395 – c. 1455), known professionally as Antonio di Puccio Pisano or Antonio di Puccio da Cereto, also erroneously called Vittore Pisano was one of the most distinguished painters of the early Italian Renaissance and Quattrocento. He was acclaimed by poets and praised by humanists of his time, who compared him to such illustrious names as Cimabue, Phidias and Praxiteles.

Pisanello is known for his resplendent frescoes in large murals, elegant portraits, small easel pictures, and many brilliant drawings. He is the most important commemorative portrait medallist in the first half of the 15th century, and he can claim to have originated this important genre.

He was employed by the Doge of Venice, the Pope in the Vatican and the courts of Verona, Ferrara, Mantua, Milan, Rimini, and by the King of Naples. He stood in high esteem in the Gonzaga and Este families.


Pisanello had many of his works wrongly ascribed to other artists such as Piero della Francesca, Albrecht Dürer and Leonardo da Vinci, to name a few. While most of his paintings have perished, a good many of his drawings and medals have survived. More on Pisanello

Marten de Vos, (Antwerp 1532-1603) and Studio

The Vision of Saint Eustace

Other scenes with tests of his faith beyond

Oil on panel

34½ x 44 1/8 in. (87.7 x 112.1 cm.)

Private collection

Maerten de Vos, Maerten de Vos the Elder or Marten de Vos (1532 – 4 December 1603) Flemish painter and draughtsman. In 1552 he went to Italy and studied in Rome, in Florence, and with Tintoretto in Venice. In 1558 he was back in Antwerp where after the death of Frans Floris in 1570 he became the leading Italianate artist in that city. The altarpieces that make up the bulk of his output are typically Mannerist in their strained, slender elegance.

Together with the brothers Ambrosius Francken I and Frans Francken I, he ranks among the most important painters of altarpieces in Antwerp during the 1590s. Due, in part, to the Counter-Reformation, there was a renewed demand for altarpieces to replace those lost during iconoclastic riots in 1566 or the reformist movement of 1581. 

Marten de Vos was also a prolific draughtsman, especially during the first half of the 1580s, when the Calvinists were in power in Antwerp. During this period he provided numerous designs for print publishers. A total of some 1600 prints were produced after designs by de Vos. De Vos's drawings have been praised for their lively, industrious and generally positive character, frequently with romantic Italianate landscapes in the background. His obvious proficiency is counterbalanced, however, by a degree of routine formularization. More on Marten de Vos

While he followed, the deer reversed towards him. Placidus is then awestruck by a vision where he sees the cross between the antlers of the deer, and in that moment, Placidus is commanded by the voice of God to be baptized along with his family on that very night by the bishop of Rome. He is baptized and has his name changed to Eustace.

Unknown artist

The miracle of St. Eustace

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

He receives another vision from a voice informing him of upcoming trials for he and his family where they will suffer; They lose their goods, servants, livestock, and social status. 

Maestro di Campo Giove (Nicolo Olivieri della Pietranziera?)

Eustace separated from his wife

Tempera on panel

40 x 32 cm

Private collection

I could not find any information on this artist

They attempted to travel by boat, however, Eustace couldn't afford the voyage. Eustace and his two sons Agapius and Theopistus were then removed from the boat and separated from Eustace's wife Theopista, so Eustace and his sons continued traveling. 

Unknown artist

his sons were carried away by beasts while they were crossing a river together

13th-century French Psalter

Trinity College Library, Cambridge

They arrived at a river where Eustace had to carry them across one at a time. After successfully taking one to the other-side, Eustace attempted for the other, however, both of his sons where taken by animals while he was crossing the river; one by lion and the other by wolf. Unknowingly to Eustace, his sons were saved and raised independently.

Manuel Panselinos

Saint Eustace

Protaton, Mount Athos

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Manuel Panselinos or Panselenos was a Greek painter of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. Not much is known about Panselinos. There are ongoing disputes about whether he was a real person or just a collective image. Nevertheless, an icon painter from Athos, titled Painter’s Manual, that Manuel Panselinos hailed from Thessaloniki and worked on the Holy Mount Athos, making frescoes and icons of such high quality that he surpassed all previously known artists.

Panselinos was the main representative of this school. Presumably, he lived and worked in the late 13th – early 14th centuries, and is credited with painting the Dormition Cathedral of Protaton in Karyes, the Vatopedi Monastery, frescoes in the main churches of Pantocrator and the Great Lavra, as well as icons and other images in other monasteries of the Holy Mount. When researchers compared the painting techniques used in the Basilica of St. Demetrius in Thessaloniki with those of the Cathedral of Protaton, they found striking similarities and concluded that Manuel Panselinos had painted the basilica as well.

One of the main characteristics of Manuel Panselinos’s painting are the narrative nature of the scenes, the subtle rendering of movements and the accurate representation of body stature. 

Manuel Panselinos employs a rich color palette. All his lines are clear and expressive.

The Protaton frescoes are a reflection of a conscious desire to revive Classicism in Byzantine art in conjunction with the spirituality of Christian society. Panselinos succeeded in doing so: he introduced beauty and harmony to his paintings, while retaining their form and content. More on Manuel Panselinos

The sad style coexists with the austerity of a recruiter. The spear he holds with his right hand indicates his military status. A slight wear on the hair does not alter its contemplative form.

Eustace then worked for fifteen years as a guard protecting fields until he was approached by two envoys of Roman emperor Trajan who were sent to persuade him to return to Rome and repel an uprising; Eustace complied. 

Menescardi, Giustino documented 1751–1776

St. Eustace is again called to the military service, c. 1770

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Giustino Menescardi (1720–1776) was an Italian painter and scenic designer, active in Northern Italy and Venice in a late Baroque style.

Little is known about his training. His works appear to display the influence of Tiepolo. In the Carnavals of 1756 and 1757, he collaborated with Francesco Grassi in the scenography for the Teatro Ducale and in the commedie francesi being enacted in the Theater of Colorno. On the 28 of January he was paid 704 lire for his work as a scenographer in the French opera Zelindor e Gl'Inca in Perù, the work il balli de Selvaggi, and the work Aci e Galatea. He painted the canvas of St Augustine triumphs over Heresy for the church of Santo Stefano, Venice. he also painted for the Sala dell'Archivio of the Scuola Grande dei Carmini[2] and in the Ducal Palace of Venice. More on Giustino Menescardi

Unknown artist, French School (20th century)

St Eustace, martyr

Illustration from Le Pelerin

Colour lithograph

There in Rome, he was reinstated his original rank of general, led an army, and coincidentally, achieved victory in the home country of the captain who abducted his wife Theopista. 

Trading life stories after the battle, two soldiers discover they were the brothers abducted by animals, and overhearing them, Theopista recognizes her husband Eustace. Eustace and his family then return to Rome to celebrate at a victory dinner under the new Roman emperor Hadrian who was less tolerant towards Christians. 

Giambattista Pittoni, (1687–1767)

Saint Eustace refuses to honour the gods of Rome, circa 1722

Oil on canvas

Height: 43.5 cm (17.1 in); Width: 81 cm (31.8 in)

Royal Castle, Warsaw

Giambattista Pittoni or Giovanni Battista Pittoni (6 June 1687 - 6 November 1767) was a Venetian painter of the late Baroque or Rococo period. He was among the founders of the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice , of which in 1758 he became the second president, succeeding Tiepolo.

Pittoni studied under his uncle Francesco Pittoni, a well-known but undistinguished painter of the Venetian Baroque. 

Pittoni joined the Fraglia of the Venetian Painters, the Venetian guild of painters, in 1716. From, probably, the same year until his death he was a member of the College of Painters, of which he became prior in 1729.  He was elected to the Clementine Academy of Bologna in 1727. In 1750 he was one of the forty-six members of the Veneta Publish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, which later became the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice ; from 1758 to 1760 he succeeded Tiepoloas president of the academy, and was elected for a second term in 1763–64. More on Giambattista Pittoni

Following the dinner, Hadrian requested Eustace and his family to make an offering to pagan gods; They refused. Eustace and his family were then thrown in a den of lions, but the lions did not touch them. 

Unknown artist

Death of St. Eustace with wife and child

Fresco

Gračanica Monastery, Kosovo

The monaster was built by King Stefan Uroš II Milutin (r. 1282-1321) in 1310. Frescoes painted most likely b/n 1318 and 1321.

Eustace and his family were then put into a brazen bull; They died, but their bodies were untouched by the flames. More on Saint Eustace

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