The Metropolitan Museum

Artist: Bartolomeo Montagna (Bartolomeo Cincani)

Tiltle: Saint Justina of Padua

Date: 1490s

Medium: Oil on wood

Size: Overall, with added strips, 19 1/2 x 15 1/8 in. (49.5 x 38.4 cm); painted surface 19 1/8 x 14 3/4 in. (48.6 x 37.5 cm)

Country of Origin: Italy

Current Location: The Metropolitan Museum

I've always been interested in history, and the Renaissance is the latest passion of mine. It is quite unnecessary to say that the painting of this epoch creates a profound impression, and this picture is no exception, it does impress me. Any images of Catholic saints, unlike Orthodox icons, seem to be rather carnal than spiritual. And St. Justine is a very beautiful girl (at least, according to the tastes of those times – and mine). She has an aristocratic bearing, delicate features and golden hair. Her dress and jewelry are painted in a very detailed manner, every pearl in her necklace, every piece of embroidery is seen, and the green fabric looks as if we could touch it. St. Justine is depicted as bright and full of live young Venetian. Isn’t it an alluring image? I doubt whether it put pious thoughts into somebody’s minds, but I can easily imagine knights and noblemen, who could have fallen in love with such a beautiful saint… Dreams apart, this picture is one of the most tempting ones I’ve ever seen.