Surrealism from ancient times

I was sent an interesting picture.
At first I even thought that this is photoshop.
But! This image was part of the real picture, and even from the old-old times.
Let's spin the story. ))
Here is the original object, which, as it turned out on closer inspection, is a detail of the work of Francesco del Coss.

Francesco del Cossa - St. Lucia (p. 1472). Detail




And now we go backwards-we untwist the scroll and get the whole from the detail.
Who is pictured in the picture? Why are the eyes hanging on the branch? What is the meaning of this picture?
The answer is: Saint Lucia - Lucia of Syracuse is depicted.
I admit, I did not know about such a saint, although it turned out that she was honored in many countries and even arranged a holiday in her honor.
What is the tsimus picture?
It seems that your eyes are looking at you and as if waiting for something.
It turns out that Saint Lucia calls us once again to look carefully and see the true path.
In my opinion, it is a very urgent task for our abnormal modernity. ((





Who is Saint Lucia?
Saint Lucia (Lucia, Lucia, Lucia, Santa Lucia) Syracuse (283 - 303) - an early Christian martyr.
The name comes from the Latin 'lux' - 'light'.
Was the daughter of a wealthy Roman citizen from Syracuse, Sicily. She lived at the turn of the III and IV centuries. AD, in the era of the last (Diocletian) persecution of Christians.
Her father died early, and his mother, who was called Evtikhia, wanted to marry her daughter.
In those days there were no monasteries yet, but many pious Christians had already taken a vow of celibacy. So Lucy did. My mother was against it at first, but, suffering from bleeding, she recovered from them in Catania, at the grave of St. Agatha († 5 / II-251), whose life in many ways resembles the life of St. Lucia, and then agreed with the decision of her daughter.
The rejection of Lucy's fiancé aroused the persecution against her.
Judge Syracuse Paskhazi wanted to give her to a brothel so that she would be raped to death there, but neither a bullock cart nor a thousand men could move Lucia from her place. After that, Lucia was tortured.
Around it a bonfire was lit and watered with boiling oil, but the flame receded.
After various tortures and miracles she was killed by a sword blow.
But other legends also report that her eyes were torn out.
The remains of St. Lucia was buried in the catacombs of Syracuse, which now bear her name.
On the icons, Saint Lucius is depicted usually with a sword in his hands and a palm branch (symbols of martyrdom), a book and an oil lamp, sometimes also with two eyes on a tray.
There are even temples dedicated to Saint Lucia - the cathedral cathedrals in Colombo and in Sri Lanka.




Saint Lucia died in the year 304.
But even after her death, her suffering did not stop. For some reason, her relics were taken from place to place, until they found peace.
The body of Saint Lucia rests in Venice, but its glory goes around the world.
Even in liberal Sweden, the holiday of Santa Lucia on December 13 is among the most anticipated in the Christmas period.
On this day is celebrated the day of memory of Saint Lucia of Syracuse.
Originally on this day, they wore white clothes, baked traditional lousse cout and sang songs.
This holiday is celebrated in Sweden from the end of the XIX century.
And nowadays girls wear white clothes on this day and decorate the head with a crown of seven candles.

And finally the picture itself:
Francesco del Cossa - St. Lucia (p. 1472)





The relics of Saint Lucia - one of the most popular objects of theft in Venice.
They were tried to steal many times: in 1867, 1949, 1969 and in 1981-ies.




There is also a version of the image of Saint Lucia.
In her hand the girl holds a bowl with her own eyes, which she is going to send to the unlucky groom.
And yet I conclude that her eyes were pierced.
Otherwise, why all the artists of that time depict it in this way. I believe them more than all possible interpreters of all time and people.
Although no one has abolished artistic fiction and allegory yet. ))

Santa Lucia. Domenico di Giacomo di Pace Beccafumi (1486-1551)




And now some more works of Francesco del Cossa.
I really enjoyed looking at the details - the feeling of a kaleidoscope.
Back in childhood. ))




Triumph of Apollo. Francesco del Cossa, 1476-84 years. Ferrara, Palazzo Skifanoja



by Spain Mark art for sale