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Saint Alexander

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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This painting is part of Romanino’s high altarpiece for S. Alessandro in Brescia. It is situated beside the main panel of the Nativity. Saint Alexander was patron saint of Brescia and the church was dedicated to him. His position on the holy family’s right-hand side puts him in the place of honour, and he has a double halo. He was a local martyr, beheaded in Bergamo in about 303. He was said to have been a Roman soldier who was killed for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. He is often depicted as a youthful knight holding a banner marked with a fleur-de-lis in reference to the lilies that sprang up where his blood was spilled. The heroic and richly coloured figure of Saint Alexander expresses the strongly Venetian character of Romanino’s work.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Saint Alexander

Date

about 1524

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 159.5 x W 64.2 cm

Accession number

NG297.2

Acquisition method

Bought, 1857

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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