The Iconography of Saints

The study of iconography reveals how symbols and allegories help decode artworks that long puzzled scholars. Art historian Noah Charney examines how medieval viewers recognized saints in paintings despite widespread illiteracy. By identifying attributes tied to martyrdoms, such as Saint Lucy’s eyes on a platter or Saint Peter’s inverted cross, viewers understood each figure’s identity and meaning. Using Crivelli’s Demidoff Altarpiece, Charney shows how to read religious images like clues in a visual investigation. (World Art History Certificate elective,1/2 credit)