Unknown artist
Martyrdom of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity and Their Mother Sophia, c. 17C
Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk (the Novodevichy Convent) in Moscow,
Tempura on Wood
The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Saints Faith, Hope and Charity are a group of Christian martyred saints, venerated together with their mother, Sophia
Sophia, whose name means wisdom, lived in Rome. She was a Christian, and in accordance with her name, she lived wisely. While living in honorable wedlock, bore three daughters, whom she named after the three great virtues. The first was named Faith, the second Hope, and the third Love.
Josef Winterhalder der Jüngere, (1743–1807)
Faith, Hope and Charity, c. 1780s
Oil on canvas
Height: 64 cm (25.1 in); Width: 43 cm (16.9 in)
Christian Museum, Hungary
Josef Winterhalder the Younger (25 January 1743, Vöhrenbach - 17 January 1807, Znojmo) was a German-Bohemian painter belonging to the fourth generation of painters and sculptors in the Winterhalder family. He worked in Moravia, Lower Austria and Hungary.
He was one of six children born to the sculptor Johann Michael Winterhalder. After his mother's death in 1753, he and two of his siblings were sent to live in Olmütz with their uncle, Josef who formally adopted them. He introduced his nephew to his colleagues, Paul Troger and Franz Anton Maulbertsch and he was an assistant in the latter's workshop from 1763 to 1768. His first mature work in his own style was completed c.1770.
In early 1780s, Emperor Joseph II suppressed the monasteries and ordered a reduction in the ornamentation of churches; part of a general program of religious modernization.
These actions had a serious effect on Winterhalder's livelihood, but he was able to find patronage from the Moravian nobility, decorating several of their mansions with trompe l'oeil ornaments and the like.
Around 1800, he wrote Moravian artists in Znojmo and the surroundings, a compendium of artworks and artists. He also listed his own works in the order of their importance, and mused about the course of his life. His last known works were in 1805, at a library belonging to the Premonstratensian Order in Geras. More on Josef Winterhalder der Jüngere.
Soon after the birth of her three daughters, Sophia was widowed She reared her three daughters in a manner befitting a wise mother so that they, being the namesakes of virtues, might in truth acquire those traits. As they matured, they increased in virtue, and they learned well the books of the prophets and the apostles. They became accustomed to listen to the words of their teachers and earnestly occupied themselves with spiritual reading, prayer, and household chores.
George Frederic Watts, (1817–1904)
Faith, Hope and Charity, c. 1900
Oil on canvas
Height: 212.1 cm (83.5 in); Width: 106 cm (41.7 in)
Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane
The painting “represents Faith, encouraged by Hope and inspired by Love, about to sheathe her sword as she cleanes her blood-stained foot in a stream, and turns from the sight of the smoking ruins - the signs of her handiwork through the land." — Sarah Cecilia Harrison, Municipal Gallery of Art Illustrated Catalogue, 1908.
George Frederic Watts OM RA (London 23 February
1817 – 1 July 1904) was a popular
English Victorian painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement.
He said "I paint ideas, not things." Watts became famous in his
lifetime for his allegorical works, such as Hope and Love and Life. These
paintings were intended to form part of an epic symbolic cycle called the
"House of Life", in which the emotions and aspirations of life would
all be represented in a universal symbolic language. More on George Frederic
Moreover, they submitted themselves in all things to their mother. They were successful in all things. As they were exceedingly fair and perfect in wisdom, the eyes of all were soon upon them.
Adèle Kindt, (1804–1884)
Faith, Hope and Charity, c. 1840
Oil on canvas
Height: 126.7 cm (49.8 in); Width: 146.7 cm (57.7 in)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Adèle Kindt (16 December 1804 – 8 May 1893) was a Belgian painter; known primarily for portraits and genre scenes.
Born in Brussels into a family that produced many female artists, Marie-Adélaïde Kindt was trained in drawing by engraver Antoine Cardon. She studied painting under François-Joseph Navez and was encouraged by Jacques-Louis David.
Although trained as a neoclassicist, Kindt produced work informed by Romanticism. Her early works included many historical scenes. After the 1840s, Kindt painted much less ambitious works, largely portraiture and genre scenes. Although she adapted her style to suit the changing tastes of the public, she never recaptured the success of her early career. She died in Brussels. More on Adèle Kindt
Word spread throughout Rome of the wisdom and beauty of the three sisters. Emperor Hadrian, who immediately sent his servants to bring the virgins before him. When the servants arrived at Sophia’s house, they told her that she was to come, together with her daughters, to the Emperor.
Dmitry Shkolnik
St. Sophia & her daughters, Faith, Hope & Love
I have no further description of this artwork at this time
Dmitry Shkolnik was born in Moscow, Russia in 1960. While studying in highschool, he developed a keen interest in Russian religious art. Upon graduation, he pursued a higher education in the field of architecture. Concurrently, he cultivated a knowledge of Russian craft art in the form of laquer miniatures and Icon restoration.
In 1979-80, Dmitry began to work for the Russian Patriarchal Workshops. In 1981 he immigrated to the United States with his family. He enrolled in the Theological Seminary at The Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY in 1983. In his time there, he apprenticed under the well-known iconographer Archimandrite Ciprian (Pyzhov) for many years. In 1988 Dmitry Shkolnik completed the Seminary with a Bachelors in Theology.
Since 1981 Dmitry Shkolnik has written over 3,000 icons, completed more than 20 iconostasis, and painted numerous church frescos, murals and wall ornamentations. He is an active member of the International Union of Artists. More on Dmitry Shkolnik
All four martyrs, the mother and her daughters, took one another by the hand, forming as it were a plaited garland. When they arrived at the Emperor’s palace, they signed themselves with the sign of the Cross.
Unknown artist
Martyrdom of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity and Their Mother Sophia, c. 17C
Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk (the Novodevichy Convent) in Moscow,
Tempura on Wood
The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
They were then led before the Emperor, they rendered him fitting honor but stood before him without fear. The Emperor questioned the mother as to their lineage, names, and faith. She answered so sagaciously that all were amazed at her prudence. She added that she had betrothed her daughters to Christ so that they might preserve their chastity for the incorruptible Bridegroom.
Unknown artist
St Sophia Mother of Orphans
Tempera, gold leaf, solid wood panel, varnish
30cm x 20cm x 2cm (11.81″ x 7.87″ x 0.79″)
Private collection
The Emperor, seeing that Sophia was a wise woman, did not wish at that time to speak further with her or pass judgment on her. He laid the matter aside for a time and sent all four martyrs to a certain noblewoman named Palladia, whom he charged to watch over them and to present them on the third day to be judged.
Daniel Voshart
Hadrian, 117–138 (Died aged 62 — Natural causes)
Daniel Voshart holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Image Arts at Ryerson University. He worked as a cinematographer. His films have screened at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals including Berlinale, Locarno, Viennale, Toronto, Edinburgh, MoMA’s New Directors/New Films and Slamdance, and have been honoured with two Canada’s Top Ten selections, a Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance and two Genie Award nominations.
In 2015 Daniel completed a Masters of Architecture at the University of Toronto with a focus on sustainable design and VR. For two years, he worked at Linebox Studio, an architecture firm with offices in Ottawa and Toronto, integrating a VR workflow into both residential and commercial projects. In 2018 he became VR Specialist on Star Trek: Discovery. More on Daniel Voshart
When the third day had come, the saints were brought to judgment before the impious Emperor. He questioned their mother Sophia as to their names and ages. She replied, “My eldest child is named Faith and is twelve years old. The second is Hope, who is ten years of age. My third child’s name is Love, and she is nine years old.”
The Emperor began to attempt to force each of them to submit to his impiety, beginning with Faith, the eldest sister, to whom he said, “Sacrifice to the great goddess Artemis!”
But Faith would not agree to submit. Therefore, the Emperor had her stripped naked and ordered that she be beaten severely. The torturers thrashed her mercilessly. She remained silent. Since the tormentor accomplished nothing by flogging her, he had her virginal breasts cut off.
Niccolò Pomarancio and Antonio Tempesta
The tormentor had her virginal breasts cut off
This is actually a fresco of Saint Cecilia
Santo Stefano Rotondo, Rome
Niccolò Circignani (c. 1517/1524 – after 1596) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance
or Mannerist period. He was one of
three Italian painters called Pomarancio. His first works are documented from
the 1560s, where he painted frescos on the Old Testament stories for the
Vatican Belvedere and completed altarpieces for Orvieto, Umbertide, Città di
Castello as well as Città della Pieve.
He painted
frescoes (starting 1574) on mythologic themes including a Judgement of Paris,
Stories from the Aenid, and others, in collaboration with Giovanni Antonio
Pandolfi in the Palazzo della Corgna in Castiglione del Lago.
From 1579 he returned to Rome to work with Matthijs Bril
and decorated the Sala della Meridiana in the Torre dei Venti as well as in the
Loggie in the Vatican. He then became one of the artists favored by the
Jesuits. Assisted by Matteo da Siena, he began depicting scenes of Jesuit
martyrdom. He was further commissioned such works, depicting church martyrs,
with help from Antonio Tempesta for the church of Santo Stefano Rotondo. Here
he finally completed over thirty graphic scenes of martyrdom, depicting every
gruesome method as if it were an advertisement for a torture chamber. More
on Niccolò Circignani
Antonio Tempesta (1555 – 5 August 1630) was
an Italian painter and engraver, whose art acted as a point of connection
between Baroque Rome and the culture of Antwerp.
He was
born and trained in Florence and painted in a variety of styles, influenced to
some degree by "Counter-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism. He enrolled in
the Florentine Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in 1576. He was a pupil of
Santi di Tito, then of the Flemish painter Joannes Stradanus. He was part of
the large team of artists working under Giorgio Vasari on the interior
decoration of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
His favourite subjects were battles, cavalcades, and
processions. He relocated to Rome, where he associated with artists from the
Habsburg Netherlands, which may have led to his facility with landscape
painting. More Antonio
Tempesta
Then a metal gridiron was brought, which was placed on a great fire which had been kindled. When it had been heated red hot, giving forth sparks, the holy martyr Faith was placed upon it. She lay there for two hours but she was not burnt at all, to the astonishment of everyone present. Then she was cast into a cauldron filled with boiling pitch and oil, but there too she remained unharmed. The persecutor, not knowing what else to do, pronounced upon her the sentence of death by the sword.
Unknown artist
Medieval depiction of the martyrdom of St. Faith with a red hot poker
I have no further description of this artwork at this time
Then the impious Emperor had the second sister, Hope, brought before him, “Heed my advice and worship the great Artemis so that you might not perish as your elder sister did"
But Saint Hope replied, “I am ready to follow her path; therefore, do not delay or weary yourself with much speaking, but begin that which you have resolved to do. You will see that I am of the same mind as my sister who has gone before me.”
When the Emperor heard this reply, he handed Hope over to the torturers. His henchmen stripped her as they had Faith, and they beat her so long and mercilessly that they grew weary. But she remained silent as though she suffered no pain. She only gazed upon her mother.
Unknown artist
Detail; Martyrdom of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity and Their Mother Sophia, c. 17C
Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk (the Novodevichy Convent) in Moscow,
Tempura on Wood
The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Then the Emperor commanded that Hope be cast into fire, but she remained unharmed. After this, she was suspended and scraped with iron claws. Her flesh was torn off, streams of her blood gushed out, and a wondrous fragrance came forth from her wounds. She mocked the persecutor because he was unable to overcome even a young maiden.
Niccolo Pomarancio and Antonio Tempesta
The tormentor, who ordered that a cauldron be filled with pitch and oil and heated over a fire and that the saint be cast into it
This is a fresco of Saint Cecilia
Santo Stefano Rotondo in Rome
These words greatly angered the tormentor, who ordered that a cauldron be filled with pitch and oil and heated over a fire and that the saint be cast into it. When the cauldron had come to a boil and the Emperor’s servants were preparing to hurl the saint into it, the kettle suddenly melted down like wax, and the hot pitch and oil poured forth from it upon all who stood nearby.
Unknown artist
Detail; Martyrdom of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity and Their Mother Sophia, c. 17C
Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk (the Novodevichy Convent) in Moscow,
Tempura on Wood
The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Thus, seeing himself put to shame by a young maiden and not wishing to bear further humiliation, he condemned the saint to beheading.
The persecutor summoned Love, the third maiden, seeking to entice her to abandon the Crucified One and to worship Artemis, but the deceiver labored in vain.
Niccolo Pomarancio and Antonio Tempesta
The persecutor ordered that she be stretched out upon a wheel and beaten with rods
Fresco
Santo Stefano Rotondo in Rome
The persecutor began her torture by ordering that she be stretched out upon a wheel and beaten with rods. The saint’s young body was stretched in such a way that her members were pulled from their sockets, and she was beaten until she had been dyed as red as scarlet by her blood, which watered the earth like rain.
Unknown artist
Martyrdom of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity and Their Mother Sophia, c. 17C
Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk (the Novodevichy Convent) in Moscow,
Tempura on Wood
The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
The persecutor ordered those standing nearby to hurl Love into the furnace. The saint did not wait for another to cast her into the furnace, but she hastened to enter it herself. She walked into the furnace but was not burned. And at once fire shot forth from the furnace, consuming the unbelievers standing nearby, burning some to ashes and scorching others. The Emperor himself was singed.
When the furnace was extinguished, the saint, emerged radiant and unharmed. The torturers, in accordance with the Emperor’s command, seized her and bored through her members with drills, but she endured these torments so that she did not die.
Unknown artist
Martyrdom of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity and Their Mother Sophia, c. 17C
Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk (the Novodevichy Convent) in Moscow,
Tempura on Wood
The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Finally, the persecutor, stricken with pain from being burned by the fire, commanded that the saint be beheaded by the sword.
At that moment Saint Love was beheaded by the sword. Her mother took her body and laid it in a beautiful coffin, together with the corpses of Faith and Hope, adorning their bodies as was fitting. She placed them in a chariot, took them several miles outside the city, and reverently buried her daughters there upon a lofty hill, weeping for joy. She sat by their grave, praying with compunction to God for three days, after which she slept the sleep of death in the Lord and was buried by the faithful in that same place, together with her daughters. More on Sts. Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love
Unknown artist
Martyrdom of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity and Their Mother Sophia, c. 17C
Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk (the Novodevichy Convent) in Moscow,
Tempura on Wood
The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
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