Giovanni Bellini’s San Zaccaria Altarpiece Information on St. Catherine and St. Lucy Below is the additional information on both St. Catherine and St. Lucy, the two female saints featured in Bellini’s San Zaccaria Altarpiece. I’ve also included the name of the book where I got the information in case you are interested.
Catherine of Alexandria: was a 4th century scholar and daughter of a king who died around 304. She argued with the Roman Emperor Maxentius about the pagan gods and during her debate converted 50 philosophers to Christianity. Maxentius condemned her to death, she was whiped and tied to a wheel inlaid with nails and eventually beheaded, From the 14th century on she became one of the most venerated female saints after the Virgin Mary.
Broken Wheel, attribute of St. Catherine of Alexandria.
Giovanni Bellini, San Zaccaria Altarpiece Sources for the information about the saints: Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art by James Hall (ISBN: 0064301001) and The World of the Saints by Norbert Wolf (ISBN: 3791333186)
St. Lucy: Made a vow of chastity as a child but was betrothed anyway. When her mother got sick, Lucy convinced her to travel to the shrine of St. Agatha and she was cured. In gratitude her mother said she would not have to marry. Lucy distributed her wealth to the poor, which enraged her fiancĂŠ who then denounced as a Christian. She was tied to a team of oxen to be dragged to a brothel but the oxen refused to move. She was then tortured and eventually killed with a dagger through her throat. Her attributes are a burning oil lamp and eyes and originally referred to her name, which means light. The legend that she plucked out her eyes and sent them to her lover who could not stop talking about their beauty developed later.