Saint Clare

Saint Clare, 1838
Joseph Désiré Court

The painting illuminates the life of Saint Clare, often referred to as 'the shining one', an Italian nun from the 13th century who lived a life devoid of material possessions and centered around spirituality. Artist Joseph Désiré Court chose to depict her not in traditional nun attire, but in his imagined version of her medieval clothing and hairstyle. This artwork was once mistakenly identified as a portrait of Clémence de Vernède, Countess de Corneillan and, following her marriage in 1864, Baroness de Pagès (1818-1901) as Saint Catherine. The radiant light bathing Saint Clare as she engrosses herself in reading the Bible is a captivating element of this painting.

Copyright: Public domain