Know Your Saints

A handy visual list to help you identify the saints you see in Medieval and Renaissance art.

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Saint	Photo	Attributes	Story/ category
Mary		Blue robe/ mantle, often holds christ child	Mother of Christ by virgin birth
Mary Magdalen		Red robe, blonde long hair, no veil. Carries ointment jar.	Repentant prostitute and Follower of christ
Veronica		Carries hankercheif	Gave christ a cloth to wipe his sweat on road to calvary, which left a miraculous imprint of his face ("Veronica's veil")
John the Baptist		wears a "hair shirt" and often looks thin due to years of refuge in desert	Baptized christ. Is Mary's cousin Elizabeth's son, and often seen as a young boy or baby playing with the baby Jesus. Head cut off in exchange for a dance by Salome. Also, patron saint of florence.
Anne		Elderly lady, often wears blue	Mother of the Virgin Mary, often shown in stories of the birth of the virgin.
Joseph		Carpenter, father	Mary's husband, Christ's father
Matthew		Angel	Evangelist
Mark		Lion	Evangelist
Luke		Ox	Evangelist, also patron of painters since was assisted by angels in his painting of the Virgin.
John the Evangelist		Eagle	Evangelist
Domenic		Black and White robes, eminates light	Started Dominican order
Francis		Brown robes, stigmata (wounds of Christ)	Started Franciscan order
Cosmas and Damian		Always seen together, doctor saints	Medici patron saints often seen in their commissions
Peter		Holds keys to the catholic church and protects the gates of heaven	The first Pope. Christ put him in charge of the church.
George		dragon	fought a dragon
Gory deaths....
Peter Martyr		Axe or sword stuck in bleeding head	Was axed to death and wrote the first line of the credo in his blood while dying.
Agatha		breasts on a platter	virgin martyr of christian antiquity publically persecuted by having breasts cut off.
Lawrence (Lorenzo)		grill, like a BBQ	Was grilled to death
Catherine of Alexandria		spiked wheel	Virgin saint Tortured on a wheel, also patron of mechanics