medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Friday, November 27, 2009, at 8:44 pm, Marjorie Greene wrote:
> Doctissimi,
> There is a new album in the left column of the medrelart share site,
> "Orvieto and Umbria." The first three photos are of the facade of the
> duomo of Orvieto. The others were taken later as we drove through
> Umbria. There is a wall painting of two female saints, Apollonia and
> ?. And a close head shot of another. If anyone recognizes any of the
> "saint" images, please advise. The rest of the pictures are just eye candy.
> MG
Here's that wall painting of "two female saints, Apollonia and ?":
http://medrelart.shutterfly.com/2257
The saint on the left seems to me to be Agatha, holding in her right hand a platter displaying her severed breasts and in her left the shears with which they are imagined to have been removed. For her breasts on a platter compare (e.g.):
http://tinyurl.com/ycs96em
The shears are a bit atypical. More familiar are pincers (e.g.):
http://tinyurl.com/y9k3xrw
http://www.wga.hu/art/l/lorenzo/niccolo/enthrone.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/yzyao6x
http://tinyurl.com/ya9wkjy
Whereas ? is indeed a saint very commonly encountered, in this instance the figure on the right would seem to be Agatha's companion in the Roman Canon of the Mass St. Lucy, here holding a blazing candle in her right hand and in her left the sword with which she is said to have been slain. For Lucy's holding a similar implement of illumination (usually a lamp or a small torch) compare (e.g.):
http://www.wga.hu/art/l/lippi/flippino/1/06stlucy.jpg
http://www.wga.hu/art/d/domenico/tolmezzo/stlucy.jpg
For her holding a sword, see (e.g.):
http://www.wga.hu/art/b/beccafum/6st_lucy.jpg
And for her holding both, see at right here (by Simone Martini):
http://www.wga.hu/art/s/simone/4altars/4orvieto/31madonn.jpg
As the second of those Lucy examples reminds one, L. is often portrayed holding her eyes on a platter. That she is not so portrayed in the Umbrian painting photographed by Marjorie may be down to the artist's desire not produce a work capable of misinterpretation as a portrait of two exceptionally well attired serving wenches :-).
Not that that (contextually far-fetched) consideration appears to have prevented Guidoccio Cozzarelli from painting this (A. at left, L. at right):
http://www.wga.hu/art/c/cozzarel/agatlucy.jpg
Best,
John Dillon
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