Who is who. Saints and protagonists of the collection of Gothic art

Who is who. Saints and protagonists of the collection of Gothic art

 

Who is who. Saints and protagonists of the collection of Gothic art

In the Medieval period the saints were considered virtuous and exceptional personalities, with links to that which was divine, reason why they were strongly revered and admired.

As consequence, the saints took on a notable importance in the artistic representations and that’s how it appears in the museum collection of Gothic art.

But, how could the faithful identify these figures in a period in which means such as photography didn’t exist and, therefore, their representations weren’t a portrait?  Each of them was characterize with one or more elements that related with their life or martyrdom, forming a simple and effective code to the medieval viewer. These are called attributes.