miloduke.com/Saints

Saints

Saint John of God During His Madness, Milo Duke, oil on canvas,24"x 36"	Saint John of God was a 16th century mercenary adventurer turned book seller who attended a sermon by a famous preacher and was so moved by the experience that he went temporarily mad with remorse and repentance. When he recovered (there were those of his contemporaries who disputed his recovery), he devoted the rest of his life to helping the poor. He died as a consequence of saving a man from drowning. I've painted him weighing his immortal soul against his mortal body as he sits, bound, in the middle of his very own vanitas still life.
Saint Alexander of Bergamo was the draconarius (standard bearer) of the Alcateebia al sa'eedia, or Theban Legion, a unit of Egyptian Coptic Christians in service to Rome that refused the Emperor Maximian's (284-305) order to sacrifice before his statue. For this offense they were decimated by having every tenth man beheaded, which was a common punishment in the Roman Army. They were again ordered to sacrifice to the Emperor's statue and again they refused and again they were decimated. A third time they were ordered to sacrifice and a third time they refused. Maximian's patience with this martyrdom operation was exhausted and he had the entire legion executed. Alexander somehow escaped the massacre and went on to many more adventures spreading the gospel until he met his ultimate fate. He could be called the patron saint of cliffhangers. the graffiti on the wall reads St L X & R.	Saint Alexander on the Morning of the First Decimation, Milo Duke, oil on canvas, 29" x 61"
Magdalene Milo Duke oil on canvas,21" x 33"	Magdalene is surrounded by her usual attributes; alabaster jar, discarded jewelry, the scourge of the repentant sinner, loose and flowing hair. She is in a prayerful pose, and her nudity is nuditas temporalis, the virtuous nudity of one who has surrendered all worldly things, not nuditas criminalis, the nudity of lust and vanity. The garland on the wall behind her was taken from Carlo Crivelli's "Madonna della Candeletta", 1491. The view of Jerusalem was taken from Henry Ossawa Tanner's "Christ Appearing to Nicodemus", 1899.
The title can be translated as Forewarned is Forearmed, which was the motto of Peter Blood, the hero of Raphael Sabatini's swashbuckling novel "Captain Blood". This is a terse version of a saying of Jesus; "Fortunate is the person who knows where the robbers are going to enter, so that she may arise, bring together her estate and arm herself before they enter." I have painted this fortunate one as Saint Sophia standing amidst her weapons in front of a version of Bruegel's "Hunters in the Snow". The graffiti was taken from originals found in my Seattle neighborhood.	Praemonitio; Praemunitio Milo Duke oil on canvas, 24"x 36"

Camera Lucida Milo Duke oil on canvas, 36" x 36"

Camera Lucida means a light filled room, and this title is meant as a light hearted pun on the camera that the woman holds in her hand, the lighting in the room and Saint Lucy's name in Latin, which is Lucida. Saint Lucy is associated with light in general, and with optical devices particularly. In fact, a camera lucida is an optical drawing aid that was frequently employed by 18th century draftsmen. In medieval paintings Saint Lucy is often shown holding her eyes in her hand because they were gouged out, and according to her story, she was cast into a brothel, both punishments for her faith.

Saint Barbara's attributes in painting are a tower, a palm, a chalice and an open book of scripture. For her faith, she was cast into a brothel. Here, however, the tower is Bruegel's great " Tower of Babel", which failed because of mutually incomprehensible languages. Barbara's name itself means incomprehensible foreign speech. The wine glass and the bottle of Il Bastardo are both empty. A shadow cuts across her heart. Perhaps the scriptures no longer speak to her, and she doubts. The graffiti is taken from originals found in my neighborhood.

Saint Barbara's Moment of Doubt Milo Duke oil on canvas, 36" x 24"

St. Luke Painting Mary, oil painting by Milo Duke

Saint Luke Painting Mary Milo Duke oil on canvas, 21" x 33"

After his travels with Saint Paul, Saint Luke retired to his studio in Boeotia where he practiced as a painter. Saint Luke is said to have painted a portrait of Mary from life in this studio, a painting last reported, in the 7th century, as having been given as a gift by the Byzantine Empress. Saint Luke is the patron saint of painters; numerous medieval and renaissance guilds were named for him, and many famous painters were members of those guilds. This painting is currently in "Redeeming Beauty", an exhibition of paintings and sculpture on a national tour of Catholic universities that began at the National Shrine in Washington D.C. in August 2007.