07 works, Today, August 26th, is Saint Victor's day, his story illustrated #238

Archimandrite Cyprian

Holy Martyr Victor

Russian Icon

4.1″ x 6″

Private collection

Archimandrite Kyprian, or Kyrill Dimitrievich Pyzhov, (Pyzhov), born on January 20, 1904 in St. Petersburg, Russia, was a monastic and icon painter of the twentieth century Russian emigration under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Known for the iconography of many churches in the United States of America, he led the icon-painting studio at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York until his repose in April 15, 2001. More on Archimandrite Kyprian

Martyr Victor of Milan, also Victor the Moor and Victor Maurus, was a Christian soldier in the Roman army who was tortured and beheaded in the early fourth century after his destruction of altars to Roman pagan gods revealed his Christian faith.

Milanese sculptor (last decade of 15th century)

Statue of St Victor 

Candoglia marble

Museo del Duomo - Milan.

Victor was born in ancient Mauretania, a Roman province on the Mediterranean coast of north Africa. He was a Berber of the Mauri tribe, after which the Moors were named. Born into a Christian family during the latter part of the third century, he nevertheless became a soldier in the Roman army and advanced through the ranks to become a member of the Praetorian Guard that served the Roman emperor Maximian, the emperor for the Western Roman Empire from 286 to 305. Around 303 AD, he secretly started to spread Christianity among the population.

Unknown artist

Roman emperor Maximian, big game hunt

Mosaic 

Villa Romana del Casale

His zeal for Christ became known to Maximian after Victor had destroyed a pagan altar to a Roman god. Brought before the angry emperor, Victor confessed he was a Christian. Maximian then ordered Victor's imprisonment. Finding that Victor would not deny Christ, the emperor then ordered his further subjection to imprisonment and various tortures. 

Unknown Master, Flemish (last quarter of the 15th century)

The Torture of St Victor, c. 1490

Wooden panel

Stedelijke Musea Mechelen, Belgium

Still rejecting the emperor's calls to sacrifice to the pagan gods, Maximian finally, in 303, directed the beheading of Victor in the emperor's garden in a small wood called The Elms in Milan.

LATE MANNERIST ROMAN PAINTER

Maximian finally, in 303, directed the beheading of Victor in the emperor's garden

BEHEADING OF SAINT JAMES THE GREATER, EARLY 17TH CENTURY 

Oil on canvas

cm. 103 x 130

Private collection

Before his martyrdom, Victor foretold that the emperor would soon die. After his beheading on May 8, Maximian ordered that no one was to bury his body so that it would be eaten by the wild animals. When six days later the emperor sent his soldiers to check the condition of Victor's body, they found it untouched by the animals. The emperor then ordered his body buried. 

Unknown artist

Saint Maternus

 Mosaic

Chapel of San Vittore in Ciel d'Oro

After having received permission to bury the martyred Victor's body, Bishop Maternus of Milan found it was guarded by two beasts, one each at his head and his feet. As the saintly Maternus approached, the beasts withdrew and Bp. Maternus wrapped the corpse in linen and buried it, in peace, not far from the small wood on May 14.

Louis Boulanger

St. Gregory of Tours, Bishop and historian (538-594), c. 1841

Oil on Canvas

I have no further description, at this time

Louis Boulanger (11 March 1806, Vercelli, Piedmont – 5 March 1867, Dijon) was a French Romantic painter, lithographer and illustrator.

He enrolled in 1821 at the École des beaux-arts where he eceived a solid classical training. Next he made a presentation for the prix de Rome, in 1824. He became the companion of Eugène Devéria and an intimate of Victor Hugo as well as different Parisian Romantic circles, which had a decisive effect on his career.

He saw great success at the Salon of 1827. However, this success did not continue in the young painter's career. He painted the portrait of several personalities of the era, including the most famous example, Balzac in a monk's robe, now at the musée des beaux-arts in Tours. Several of Boulanger's works are held at the maison Victor Hugo in place des Vosges, Paris.

He was illustrator of several Romantic works of Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. More on Louis Boulanger

Veneration of the martyr Victor began soon after his death. St. Gregory of Tours recorded that miracles occurred above his grave over which a church was built. St. Ambrose of Milan encouraged devotion to the martyr Victor. More on Martyr Victor

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