Saint Agatha

Charnai Anderson
Francisco de Zurbarán, Saint Agatha, 1633
by CHARNAI ANDERSON
If you could not tell...there on that platter Saint Agatha of Sicily holds her severed breasts. Just like most ancient anecdotes there are multiple versions of Saint Agatha's story. Saint Agatha is one of the most highly-venerated virgin martyrs of the Catholic Church. She notably fully dedicated her life to God. She had a very flattering appearance, and decided to remain celibate and devote her life entirely to Jesus and the Church in a life of prayer and service. Though she had made such a decision that did not stop men from wanting and desiring her. 

One in particular was Quintianus. He was a very well respected male of high diplomatic ranking, and he thought he could force Saint Agatha to go against her vow to God. Upon many rejections he decided to have her arrested and tried before a judge. The judge was no other than Quintianus himself. He anticipated her giving in to his demands when he explained she would be tortured and and be faced with possible death. Instead she reassured her faith in God praying for courage and strength. To once again attempt to change her mind, the determinated Quintianus imprisoned her in a brothel. Through such undeserved conditions she still never lost faith. She was interrogated and during her interrogation she told him that to be a servant of Jesus Christ was her true freedom. In retaliation of her undesireable reactions, the infuriated Quintianus sent Saint Agatha to prison instead of the brothel hoping to instill more fear in her - though it possibly brought a bit of relief. 

Bothered by her joy Quintianus ordered that Saint Agatha be tortured and in some versions as he noticed her endure these different forms of torture, such as being whipped or burned with torches, with a sense of cheer. He ordered that her breasts be cut off. In other versions she cut them off herself. Since Saint Agatha is the patron for breast cancer patients,  rape victims, and wet nurses, I'm pretty sure all would agree that it would make the most sense for her to have severed her own breast simply showing her own power and agency as a women and also it's simpluy more badass, but we as receivers and readers are not the ones who make the story, we are just the ones who may tell it. 
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St. Francis in Meditation

Ellie Schneider
Francisco de Zurbaran, St. Francis in Meditation, 1635
By ELLIE SCHNEIDER

At the time Zurbaran painted this, the Counter-Reformation movement was well alive in Seville. During this religious transformation, St. Francis was adopted as an icon of the movement. St. Francis preached to the poor after he had a vision where he was instructed to save the church. St. Francis helps the movement grow, but artists like Zurbaran, Murillo, and Ribalta sometimes struggled with this transforming religion in their work.

Zurbaran was known for his still lifes and deeply moving portraits. His depiction of St. Francis is a portrait rather than a religious piece. That’s not to say the subject does not have religious meaning, but this work lacks the mystical magic of El Greco’s Burial of the Count of Orgaz or The Vision of St. Anthony by Murillo. This realistic portrait of St. Francis makes the religious ideas more acceptable to people. Rather than created a grand, overwhelming altarpiece, Zurbaran painted this understated religious portrait, which commands the same emotional attention as any work, but lacks the theatrical aspects in the work. Zurbaran appears to cut away the religious fluff, such as cherubs and heavenly clouds, to get at the real story of St. Francis and the Counter-Reformation movement.

St. Francis kneels on the ground wearing a tattered and patched robe. The worn-in parts of his robe show his religious dedication and repeated position of prayer. He firmly holds his hands together around the top of the skull. He is a dark room, but light shines from the left side, possibly from a window. The light casts shadows that add even more drama to the piece. St. Francis looks up in prayer as if he is looking for G-d, and his mouth is agape in awe as if he found G-d.

The skull rests in the hands of St. Francis and stares up at him. St. Francis also looks up, away from the memento mori, or reminder of death, and instead looks towards the heavens. Rather than stare death in the face as Zurbaran did in other depictions of St. Francis in meditation, he has him longingly look towards heaven. In this moment, St. Francis appears to be asking if G-d is present just as death is present in the work. Another way to view it is that as St. Francis comes to terms with death, but his soul also ascends to heaven and solidifies his spot as a religious icon.

Zurbaran’s attention to detail makes St. Francis appear alive. This religious portrait is better than most family portraits at the time, but St. Francis does not appear physically different from your average man. Zurbaran appears to send the message that St. Francis is not any different from himself or yourself. While St. Francis’ soul could ascend to heaven, Zurbaran that his body will die as any mortal man. To emphasize this, St. Francis is weighed down by his large robe. Any viewer at the time would be able to relate to this image and its ideas. In the time of religious transition, people searched for new understandings and connections to G-d. St. Francis’ search for G-d in the painting was accessible to the viewers, who at that time, were searching for the same thing.
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St. Apollonia

Francisco de Zurbarán
Fransisco de Zurbarán, St. Apollonia, 1636
By NATALIE BEYER

Say you had a horrible tooth ache back in the day. The only way to treat said tooth ache was to pray to this lovely Saint painted here in hopes of getting some sort of relief.  Saint Apollonia, the Patron Saint of Dentistry, was martyred for not renouncing her faith under the reign of Emperor Phillip. According to "Catholic Online," Saint Apollonia's teeth were painfully knocked out by a Christian persecutor, and after being threatened to be burned at the stake if she did not renounce her faith, she voluntarily jumped into the flames. She dies in the year 249.

Saint Apollonia, painted by Zurbarán in 1636, wears a colorful dress and green shawl that rests over her shoulders. A flower crown tops her flawless, pink-blushed face and a bow wraps around her tiny waist. However, like most paintings of Saint Apollonia, she is holding an interesting item in her right hand. Looking into it closer, she is hold a pair of elongated pliers and ripped out tooth. Zurbarán's other Patron Saint paintings also include an item or body part of what makes the Saint special. Examples include his painting of Saint Lucy holding her scooped out eyes, or even his depiction of Saint Agatha with her...well...you get the point.
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Angels We Have Heard on High: The Annunciation

Annunciation
Angels We Have Heard on High
The Imagery of Angels in Christian Art
Curated by Camille O'Leary

Francisco de Zurbarán, The Annunciation, 1650

Wow. This painting has even more babies.

Francisco de Zurbarán,  nicknamed "the Spanish Caravaggio" for his skillful use of chiaroscuro, moved away from the Mannerist movement of gracefully attenuated figures and returned to stark realism. His take on the scene of Annunciation combines crisp, severe details with an invading smoky haze, the contrast giving the scene a new intensity. A heavenly light enters Mary's austere chamber from above, heralded by the dove representing the Holy Spirit, and a crowd of putti spectators watch the unfolding action between Mary and Gabriel. 

Compare this Gabriel to van Eyck's, from the painting of the same subject some two hundred years previous. Zurbarán foregoes the gaudy ornamentation of his Netherlandish predecessor. This Gabriel's wings are a smoky greyish-blue and detailed down to the vanes on the feathers, and his intricately embroidered clothing, while by no means austere, is much more restrained. (Zurbarán demonstrates here his skill with white drapery, one of his specialties.) The harsh lighting creates deep shadows and further emphasizes that whiteness. 

Putti have gathered above, some with their hands together in prayer, and others pointing out elements of the scene below. Further back, they melt into the smoke and become mostly indistinct. The eerie, unearthly quality of the babies above is not Zurbarán's usual style; the rest of the painting is sharply defined. Through this contrast, he heightens the tension of the scene, provoking the viewer into contemplation. This was one of the main goals of Counter-Reformation artists, as showcased by many other works from the time period, which depicted saints being tormented or murdered in a variety of grisly ways. The intent was to remind your average illiterate citizen of the sacrifices that were made for the sake of their faith - what have you done recently?

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