Events

Saints are typically recognizable by the symbols we associate with them. For example, we know that in a work of art, a saint holding the ‘Keys to the Kingdom,’ is Saint Peter. As such, ‘symbols' - or ‘attributes' - have been used historically to tell the stories of saints. They were particularly useful so that the illiterate could recognize a scene, and to give each of the saints somewhat of a personality. The use of a symbol in a work of art depicting a Saint reminds people who is being shown and of their story. In this presentation, we’ll look at works both in the Timken collection and elsewhere identifying and discussing the attributes with which some of the church’s most popular saints are represented.