04 works, Today, August 11th, is Saint Susanna's day, her story illustrated #223

Photograph by Philip Ralley

Saint Susanna Altar

Mosaic

Crypt Church in the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Martyr Susanna the Virgin, according to Christian legend, was the daughter of Presbyter Gavinius and a niece of the Holy Bishop Caius of Rome (283-296). 

ST. GABINUS

BASILICA DI SAN GAVINO

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

She was raised in strict Christian piety and in her youthful years dedicated herself to God. The family of the saint was related to the emperor Diocletian (284-305), who heard reports of her virtue and beauty. 

Cosmas Damian Asam

The Martyrdom of Tiburtius

Church of St.Veit in Straubing,

Cosmas Damian Asam (September 29, 1686 – May 10, 1739) was a German painter and architect during the late Baroque period. Born in Benediktbeuern, he lived in Rome from 1711-13 to study at the Accademia di San Luca. In 1713 Asam won the Academy's first prize for his drawing of Miracle of Saint Pio. In Germany, he worked with his brother Egid Quirin, a sculptor and stucco worker, on building and decorating entirely new churches, or redesigning churches in the Baroque style. Their joint projects are often attributed to the "Asam Brothers". Cosmas Damian died in Munich.

The Asam Brothers, singularly and together, were very prolific artists. They typically worked for Benedictine monasteries, though they occasionally took secular commissions. More on Cosmas Damian Asam

The Church celebrates her feast day on August 11; which is the same as Saint Tiburtius. The saints were not related, but they are sometimes associated because they are venerated on the same day.

Like Saint Laurence, Saint Tiburtius, son of The Prefect of Rome, was thrown into the flames. Armed with the sign of The Cross, the Martyr walked full of confidence on the burning coal. He was then led out of the City and beheaded on The Lavicanian Way in 286 A.D.

Having decided to give St. Susanna in marriage to his co-ruling emperor Maximian Hercules (286-305), Diocletian sent his own kinsman, the dignitary Claudius, to the priest Gavinius, and then his own brother Maximus. Both of them, together with the wife of Claudius Prepedigna and her sons Alexander and Cythius, accepted Baptism after conversation with the pious family. Having learned that the entire family of his relatives had been converted to Christianity, Diocletian sent them into exile.

Soon they burned the martyrs at Ostia, not far from Rome, and threw the ashes into the sea. They took the holy virgin Susanna to the palace, and the empress tried to persuade her to submit. But the empress, secretly a Christian, supported the martyr in her intention to preserve her virginity for the sake of the Lord. She explained to the emperor about the virgin's unwillingness to enter into marriage with a pagan. Diocletian gave permission to his co-ruler to defile the holy virgin, but an angel defended her.

Lorenzo Monaco

The Martyrdom of Pope Caius

Originally part of altarpiece of church of San Gaggio in Florence

Lorenzo Monaco (born Piero di Giovanni; c. 1370 – c. 1425) was an Italian painter of the late Gothic-early Renaissance age. He was born Piero di Giovanni in Siena. He was apprenticed in Florence., and was influenced by Giotto and his followers.

In 1390 he joined the Camaldolese monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli. He was thenceforth generally known as Lorenzo Monaco ("Lawrence the Monk").

Starting from around 1404 his works show the influence of the International Gothic. From this period is his Pietà. His works, often over a gilded background, showed in general a spiritual value, and usually did not feature profane elements.

In 1414 he painted the Coronation of the Virgin (now at the Uffizi), characterized by a great number of saints and brilliant colours. In the late part of his life, Lorenzo did not accept the early Renaissance innovations. This is visible in the Adoration of the Magi of 1420–1422, where the now widespread geometrical perspective is totally absent. Lorenzo's works remained popular in the 1420s, as testified by the numerous commissions he received.

According to the Florentine historian, he died from an unidentified infection, perhaps gangrene or a tumour. More on Lorenzo Monaco 

Macedonius began to urge the martyr to offer sacrifice to the idols. "I offer myself in sacrifice to my Lord," she answered. Then Macedonius cut off the martyr's head. The empress secretly buried the body of the saint. The room where the murder occurred was consecrated into a church by the holy Bishop Caius. Soon the father of St. Susanna, Presbyter Gavinius, accepted a martyr's end, as did St. Caius in the year 296. More on Martyr Susanna

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.