Pietã With Saints 1523

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Art buffs/researchers, I need your help. I am going nuts trying to figure out who the Saints are in the oil painting "Pietà with Saints" by artist Andrea del Sarto (1523).   Can you help me out? Who are the Saints?!

 

Note: This is not schoolwork. It's personal interest.

 

 

 

 

 

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Oh, gosh. Sorry about the title of the thread. I forgot to remove the accents. Lame.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Okay so my researching pals and I have come to the hypothesis that it's Peter in the yellow cloak, because "he often wears teal with a yellow-orange cloak over it in classical art and iconography," (according to my friend).

 

John the Beloved is sitting behind Jesus.

Our Lady is the older woman with the white veil, holding Jesus' hand.

Mary Magdalene is the young woman in pink with clasped hands (source: http://casasantapia.com/art/andreadelsarto.htm).

The other woman with the yellow shawl seems to be Mary the wife of Cleopas because she was with the others at the crucifixion according to John 19:25.

 

So the only character still needed to be identified is the bearded man in pink. Any ideas?

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Consensus seems to propose St. Paul.

[AnneLine]

Or possibly Nicodemas?

 

This is an interesting article that seems to wonder the same thing.....?

 

http://www.theartofpainting.be/AOP-Pieta.htm

 

Edited September 6, 2013 by AnneLine

[TheresaThoma]

Very interesting article AL. The article suggest that the two men are Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemas. 

 

I definitely agree on the women especially the young woman in pink, she has a small jar near her which is most likely a reference to her anointing Jesus. 

[Era Might]

Don't think I've ever seen Mary in red in Western paintings. I would've guessed St. Anne, but doesn't make sense for it to be St. Anne. I'm guessing the bearded man in pink is St. John the Baptist.

Edited September 6, 2013 by Era Might

[AnneLine]

EraMight, If you are wondering if the woman in red holding Jesus' hand as Mary the BVM, actually red was the traditional color for virginity for a LONG time, and many of the Renaissance madonnas showed Mary in red with a blue cloak.... 

 

 

(Sheesh, I am getting tired of 'autocorrect' 'fixing' 'red' into 'read'!!!!)

Edited September 6, 2013 by AnneLine

[Era Might]

EraMight, If you are wondering if the woman in red holding Jesus' hand as Mary the BVM, actually red was the traditional color for virginity for a LONG time, and many of the Renaissance madonnas showed Mary in red with a blue cloak.... 

 

 

(Sheesh, I am getting tired of 'autocorrect' 'fixing' 'red' into 'read'!!!!)

 

Interesting. How did blue become the dominant color?

[AnneLine]

I don't know.  Good question!

 

My guess is that it was super-expensive during the Middle Ages... so would have been something very special to give to the BVM.   Kind of like kingly purple.....

 

Anybody know for sure?