Artwork
Saint Alcuin
Saint Alcuin is an oil painting. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:across bottom: (cross) Sanctus Alcuinus (cross); on scroll across chest: (decorative elements); on blade of sword: (decorative "A"); on back of glove: (decorative "A" in a circle)
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of the sword likely serves as an emblem of his spiritual authority within the church hierarchy.
Created around 1512 by a Tyrolean artist, this religious panel painting portrays Saint Alcuin. The iconography is defined by the specific attributes held by the figure: a book and a sword. In the context of Christian art, the book typically symbolizes Alcuin's profound scholarship and his pivotal role as a leading intellectual during the Carolingian Renaissance.
The inclusion of the sword likely serves as an emblem of his spiritual authority within the church hierarchy. Together, these elements visually communicate the saint's legacy as a learned teacher and a devoted servant of the faith, encapsulating the reverence accorded to him in sixteenth-century devotional practice.
Technique & Style
Created around 1512 by an unidentified Tyrolean artist of the sixteenth century, this religious work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel. The composition features the figure of Saint Alcuin, who is depicted holding a book and a sword as identifying attributes. Physically, the painting measures 155.3 centimeters in height and 51.6 centimeters in width, presenting a tall, narrow format.
The piece is classified as a painting within the religious genre. While the specific surface condition or detailed handling techniques are not explicitly described in the available records, the work's material construction and dimensional properties are established as part of the collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
History & Provenance
The work titled Saint Alcuin is an oil-on-panel painting produced in the Tyrolean school of the early sixteenth century and dated to 1512. It depicts the medieval scholar Alcuin holding a book and a sword, a composition typical of religious art from the period. The painting entered the collection of Mrs. Joanne Freedman of Washington, D.C., by 1972 and was given to the National Gallery of Art the same year, where it remains.
No documentation of the original commission survives, and the available records provide no accession number or exhibition history.
Overview
This oil on panel painting depicts Saint Alcuin, an influential scholar from the early medieval period. The figure is presented in traditional attire, holding both a book and a sword, symbols central to his historical identity. His expression conveys a sense of quiet contemplation and gravitas.
The artwork invites viewers to consider the dual nature of intellectual and spiritual authority embodied by the saint.
Artist & collection
