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Fra Angelico, Saint Dominic Italian, 1447-1448 Perugia, Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria |
Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), along with his near contemporary, St. Francis, was one of the most influential saints of the middle ages, whose personal qualities continue to live on in the contemporary world through their spiritual sons and daughters.
Biography
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Bartolo di Fredi, Saint Dominic Italian, 1397 Chambery, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
Dominic, or Domingo de Guzman y Aza, was born in northern Spain around the year 1170. His family appears to have belonged to the minor nobility of Castille. As a child and young adult he studied at the University of Palencia, the first university established in Spain (later absorbed by the nearby University of Salamanca). In his early life, while still a student, he became a canon of the cathedral of Osma and was ordained for that service, in which he assisted his bishop in reforming the cathedral chapter into a congregation of Augustinian canons.
Dominic must have been a very outstanding person because he was chosen by the King of Castille to undertake various diplomatic missions, while still quite young. It was on one of these missions, to southern France, that he first became aware of the Albigensian or Cathar heresy, which was then sweeping through that region.
The Albigensians (the name comes from the town of Albi in southern France) were essentially Manicheans, holding “a dualistic conception of reality, that is, with two equally powerful creator principles, Good and Evil. This group consequently despised matter as coming from the principle of evil. They even refused marriage, and went to the point of denying the Incarnation of Christ and the sacraments in which the Lord "touches" us through matter, and the resurrection of bodies.”1
Some of the success which this view of reality had achieved came about because the people of the region were not well instructed in the orthodox Christian faith. Preaching and instruction were virtually non-existent in the region and the lives of the clergy were often not models of good Christian life. Itinerant preachers with austere lives were hallmarks of the Albigensians. Dominic saw that what was needed was a Catholic response which provided excellent preaching from men whose lives were as austere as those of the Albigensians. This was the mission that he now took on.
Initially, he was alone in his mission, but gradually he was joined by other men who wanted to follow his example. The Order of Preachers was founded in 1216 in the city of Toulouse, in southern France. It was eventually followed by an order for women and, finally, by an associated order for lay people (a Third Order). All the branches of this religious family have produced an astonishing number of saints and blesseds over the intervening 800 years.
Dominic’s religious men were known as friars (like the followers of St. Francis) and they were assigned to missions in towns and cities (again like the Franciscans).
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| Giovanni Bellini, Portrait of Fra Teodoro of Urbino as Saint Dominic Italian, 1515 London, National Gallery |
Higher education was an important goal for them, as they needed the knowledge and skills learned in universities to perform their preaching function. To this end Dominicans were associated early on with the first universities, especially with the University of Paris and the University of Bologna. From this focus on education quickly came two great Dominican saints, Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas.
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| El Greco, Saint Dominic in Prayer Greek, 1586-1590 Private Collection |
After many years of hard, but successful, work Dominic died in 1221 at the age of 51.
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| Giuseppe Maria Mazza, Death of Saint Dominic Italian, 1715-1735 Venice, Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
He was canonized thirteen years later, in 1234. His feast day is August 8th.
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| Pierre le Gros the Younger, Saint Dominic French, 1706 Vatican, Basilica of St. Peter |
Earliest Images
The earliest images of Saint Dominic appear just after the middle of the 13th century, just a few decades after his death. They appear in a manuscript prayer manual intended for the formation of Dominican novices, called De modo orandi.
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Unknown, Saint Dominic in Prayer From 15th Century Spanish copy of 13th Century De modo orandi Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana MS Lat. Rossianus 3, fol. 6r |
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Unknown, Saint Dominic in Prayer From 15th Century Spanish copy of 13th Century De modo orandi Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana MS Lat. Rossianus 3, fol. 6v |
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Unknown, Saint Dominic in Prayer From 15th Century Spanish copy of 13th Century De modo orandi Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana MS Lat. Rossianus 3, fol. 12r |
It purports to show the modes of prayer practiced by Saint Dominic by showing the postures that Dominic had been observed to use in prayer. Approximately 150 years later it may have been highly influential on the Dominican painter Fra Angelico in his designs for the decoration of the cells of the Dominican convent of San Marco in Florence. 2
Later Image Types
Images of Saint Dominic generally appear in several different types.
With Attributes
There is the iconic image of Saint Dominic with his traditional attributes of lily, book and, often, a dog with a burning torch in its mouth. The latter is a reference to the sometimes nickname of the Dominican order, which is a wordplay on the order’s popular name in Latin (Dominicanes). By splitting the word into two other Latin words, Domini canes, you get – the dogs of the Lord. “This was itself based on a dream which St Dominic's mother, Blessed Juana de Aza, had in 1170 when she was pregnant: she saw a black and white dog with a torch in its mouth setting the world ablaze. This was interpreted to refer to St Dominic and his spiritual children, the Dominican Order - in their black and white habits - whose preaching brings the light of Gospel truth to shine upon and inflame the world with divine love.”3
Later images of the saint may also include a different non-human element, a demon. This demon represents the heretical teachings that Dominic founded the Order of Preachers to counteract. In these images Dominic spears the demon with the cross, indicating the triumph of Christian truth over heresy.
Later images of the saint may also include a different non-human element, a demon. This demon represents the heretical teachings that Dominic founded the Order of Preachers to counteract. In these images Dominic spears the demon with the cross, indicating the triumph of Christian truth over heresy.
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Guerau Gener and Goncal Peris, Saint Dominic and Four Saints Spanish, c. 1405 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Carlo Crivelli, Saint Dominic From the Demidoff Altarpiece Italian, c. 1476 London, National Gallery |
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| Pedro Berruguete, Saint Dominic de Guzman Spanish, c. 1491-1499 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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Ambrosius Benson, Saint Dominic Flemish, c. 1528 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Juan Correa de Vivar, Saint Dominic de Guzman Spanish, c. 1530-1566 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Fray Juan Bautista Maino, Saint Dominc de Guzman Spanish, c. 1612-1614 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Gaspar de Crayer, Saint Dominic Flemish, c. 1655 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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Claudio Coello, Saint Dominic Spanish, 1685 Madrid, Museo del Prado |
In a Group of Saints
At times Dominic is alone, sometimes he appears in the company of other saints in a “sacra conversazione”.
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Simone Martini, Orvieto Polyptych (Madonna and Child with Saints Peter, Mary Magdalene, Paul and Dominic) Italian, 1321 Orvieto, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo |
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| Benozzo Gozzoli, The Virgin and Child Enthroned Among Angels with Saints Zenobius, John the Baptist, Jerome, Francis, Peter and Dominic Italian, c. 1461-1462 London, National Gallery |
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| Filippino Lippi, The Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Dominic Italian, c. 1485 London, National Gallery |
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| Giovanni Bellini, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Musical Angels and Saints Francis, John the Baptist, Job, Dominic, Sebastian and Louis of Toulouse The San Giobbe Altarpiece Italian, ca. 1487 Venice, Galleria dell'Accademia |
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Giovanni Bellini, Saints Dominic, Sebastian and Louis of Toulouse Detail of the San Giobbe Altarpiece Italian, ca. 1487 Venice, Galleria dell'Accademia |
The saints chosen to accompany Saint Dominic may be popular saints as in the images above, or they may be saints specific to the Dominican order. The choice is determined largely by the patron who ordered the work of art.
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| Garofalo, The Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Dominic and Catherine of Siena Called The Madonna della Scimmia Italian, c. 1499-1502 London, National Gallery |
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| The Virgin of the Rosary with Saints Dominic and Peter Martyr Spanish, c. 1530-1570 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Francesco Maffei, Madonna and Child with Saints Dominic and Catherine of Alexandria Italian, 1650 Private Collection |
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| Gianantonio Guardi, Madonna and Child with Saints Dominic and Rose of LIma Italian, c. 1740 Budapest, Szepmuveszeti Muzeum |
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| Gianantonio Guardi, Madonna and Child with Saints Augustine, Dominic, Catherine of Alexandria, Sebastian and Jerome Italian, c. 1746-1748 Belvedere di Aquileia, Parish Church |
Historical Scenes
Another series of images shows scenes from the historic life of Saint Dominic.
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Scenes from the Life of Saint Dominic From Hours of Louis of Savoy French (Savoy), c. 1445-1460 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 9473, fol. 173v |
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| Leandro Bassano, Pope Honorius III Approving the Rule of Saint Dominic in 1216 Italian, c. 1600-1622 Venice, Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
Legendary and Semi-Legendary Scenes
Others show legendary scenes, scenes from the realm of faith, that may or may not have happened.
There are miraculous scenes from his early life.
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| Dream of Innocent III From a Psalter Hours English, c. 1400-1450 London, British Library MS Harley 2356, fol. 8v |
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| Fra Angelico Workshop, The Virgin Consigning the Habit to Saint Dominic Italian, c. 1433-1434 Cortona, Museo Diocesano |
There are scenes from his days of preaching.
Miracle of the Cloud
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Pedro Berruguete, The Miracle of the Cloud Spanish, c. 1493-1499 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
Miracle of the Book
Especially popular was a supposed episode from his early career in which, in a kind of trial by fire, a manuscript written by Dominic that listed the scriptural authorities for Catholic doctrine was cast into the fire by the Albigensians. The manuscript sprang out of the fire unharmed again and again. 4
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The Miracle of the Book From a Book of Prayers Flemish (Brussels), c. 1276-1296 London, British Library MS Harley 2449, fol. 160r |
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Jacques de Besancon, The Miracle of the Book From Legenda Aurea by Jacopo de Voragine French (Paris), c. 1480-1490 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 245, fol. 23r |
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Dominco Ghirlandaio, Miracle of the Book Italian, c. 1486-1490 Florence, S. Maria Novella, Tornabuoni Chapel |
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| Pedro Berruguete, Saint Dominic and the Albigensians Spanish, c. 1493-1499 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
There are also:
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Benozzo Gozzoli, Saint Dominic Raises a Child Italian, 1461 Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera |
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| Pedro Berruguete, Saint Dominic Raises a Boy Spanish, c. 1493-1499 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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Lorenzo Lotto, Saint Dominic Raises Napoleone Orsini Italian, c. 1513-1516 Bergamo, Accademia Carrara |
A Miraculous Feeding of His Friars by Angels
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| Giovanni Antonio Sogliani, Saint Dominic and His Friars Fed by Angels Italian, 1536 Florence, Convent of San Marco |
An Apparition by the Blessed Virgin
During this apparition the Blessed Virgin Mary presented him with the rosary, a prayer discipline that he helped to popularize.
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| Lorenzo Lotto, Madonna of the Rosary Italian, c. 1539 Cinoli, Church of San Nicolo |
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| Caravaggio, Madonna of the Rosary Italian, c. 1607 Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum |
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| Bernardo Cavallino, Vision of Saint Dominic Italian, c. 1640-1645 Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada |
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Follower of Luca Giordano, Virgin of the Rosary Italian, Late 17th- Early 18th Century Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
Other Mystical or Symbolic Encounters of Saint Dominic
Visions of Saint Dominic
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| Santi di Tito, Saints Peter and Paul Appear to Saint Dominic Italian, c. 1570-1590 Florence, Church of Santa Maria Novella, Great Cloister |
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| Zacarias Gonzalez Velazquez, Vision of Saints Francis of Assisi and Dominic de Guzman Spanish, c. 1787 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
The Miracle of Saint Dominic at Soriano
Paintings on this subject represent the miracle purported to have occurred at the Dominican monastery in Soriano in southern Italy. In this miracle, three women brought a painting of Saint Dominic to the church on three successive nights. As the website of the Prado museum states it:
"The episode depicted is that of the miracle that took place in the relatively minor Dominican monastery in Soriano Calabro (Vibo Valentia, Calabria, Italy) on 15 September 1530. On that night, three women appeared to a lay brother and gave him a rolled up canvas of a portrait of Saint Dominic. The mysterious vision took place again over three consecutive nights during which various issues gradually became clear: the women were the Virgin, Saint Catherine of Siena and Mary Magdalene, who had come to the monastery to bring the vera effigie of the founder of the Dominican order as that building lacked a worthy image of the saint. The likeness is described in detail in the Raccolta by Silvestro Frangipane, which is the first account on the monastery in Soriano."5
This became a much favored subject for Spanish and Italian artists of the 17th Century.
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| Giovanni Battista Giustammiani known as Il Francesino, Miracle of San Dominic in Soriano Italian, First Half of 17th Century Greve in Chianti, Museo di San Francesco |
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| Workshop of Francisco de Zurbaran, Miracle of Saint Dominic in Soriano Spanish, c. 1626-1627 Seville, Church of Santa Maria Magdalena |
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| Fray Juan Bautista Maino, Miracle of Saint Dominic in Soriano Spanish, c. 1629 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Matteo Rosselli, Miracle of Saint Dominic in Soriano Italian, c. 1640 Florence, Church of San Marco |
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| Jacopo Vignali, Miracle of Saint Dominic in Soriano Italian, c. 1650 Florence, Convent of San Marco |
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| Alonso Cano, Miracle of Saint Dominic in Soriano Spanish, c. 1652-1657 Indianapolis, Museum of Art |
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| Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, The Miracle of Saint Dominic at Soriano with Saint Ambrose Italian, c. 1655 Genoa, Church of Santa Maria di Castello |
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| Antonio de Pereda, Miracle of Saint Dominic in Soriano Spanish, c. 1655 Madrid, Museo Cerralbo |
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| Andres Amaya, Miracle of Saint Dominic at Soriano Spanish, c. 1670-1704 Valladolid, Museo Nacional de Escultura |
Images by Fra Angelico
Among the most affecting images of Dominic appear in the paintings by Fra Angelico in the cells of the friars at San Marco in Florence. In many of these paintings the saint appears as a prayerful observer of the event depicted.
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Fra Angelico, Crucifixion with Saint Dominic Italian, 1442 Florence, Convent of San Marco, Cell 17 |
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Fra Angelico, Entombment of Christ Italian, 1442 Florence, Convent of San Marco, Cell 2 |
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Fra Angelico, The Mocking of Christ Italian, 1442 Florence, Convent of San Marco, Cell 7 |
By Other Artists
The same motif appears in the work of other painters as well.
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Rogier van der Weyden, Lamentation with Saints Jerome and Dominic and Donor Flemish, c. 1464 London, National Gallery |
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| Mario Vasaiti, Christ Praying in the Garden with Saints Francis and Dominic Italian, 1510-1516 Venice, Accademia |
Patron and Intercessor
There are also images of St. Dominic as a powerful patron of others.
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| Hans Memling, Madonna and Child with Saints James and Dominic and Donor Family Flemish, 1488-1490 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
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| Fernanco Gallego, Madonna of the Catholic Kings Showing Saint Dominic as patron of Queen Isabella and his namesake, Saint Dominic of Silos, as patron of King Ferdinand Spanish, 1490-1495 Madrid, Museo del Prado |
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| Albrecht Dürer, Feast of the Rose Garlands German, 1506 Prague, National Gallery |
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| Titian, Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and Dominic with a Donor Italian, 1512-1516 Mamiano di Traversetolo, Fondazione Magnani Rocca |
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Mateo Cerezo, The Judgment of a Soul Spanish, c. 1663-1664 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado Here Saints Dominic and Francis intercede for the soul of a man who is undergoing the particular judgment. |
Apotheosis
And there are many images, appearing rather later in time, of the reception of Saint Dominic in heaven.
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| Guido Reni, Saint Dominic in Glory Italian, 1613 Bologna, Church of San Domenico |
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| Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, St. Dominic in Glory Italian, 1727 Venice, Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
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| Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Apotheosis of St. Dominic Italian, 1737-1739 Venice, Santa Maria del Rosario |
Among them are images of St. Francis and St. Dominic, who never met on earth, embracing.
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| Andrea della Robbia, Meeting of Saints Dominic and Francis Italian, 1493-1495 Florence, Convent of San Marco |
These two great saints planted seeds in the 13th century that have grown and flourished through the centuries that followed and now, in the 21st century continue the mission of their founders.
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1. Pope Benedict XVI, Catechesis on St. Dominic, February 3, 2010. Translation at : http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/b16ChrstChrch105.htm
2. Hood, William, "Saint Dominic's Manners of Praying: Gestures in Fra Angelico's Cell Frescoes at S. Marco", Art Bulletin, Volume LXVIII, Number 2, June 1986, pp. 195-206.
3. From Godzdogz, the blog of the English student Domincians at http://godzdogz.op.org/2006/11/what-is-godzdogz.html
4. The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints, Volume 4, p. 82. Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, 1275. First Edition Published 1470. Englished by William Caxton, First Edition 1483, Edited by F.S. Ellis, Temple Classics, 1900 (Reprinted 1922, 1931.) at http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/basis/goldenlegend/GL-vol4-dominic.asp
5. Prado Museum website: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/saint-dominic-in-soriano/b44b5839-3029-45c9-bc29-9e91c84e5889?searchid=d474318a-d5f9-fdef-dfc1-7f1b1a379584
© M. Duffy, 2012, new images added 2019, additional new images and text added 2022