The Paintings of Great Martyrs - St. Thomas Mount Church

I took snaps of the wonderfuly conceptualized paintings of the Disciples of Christ in the St. Thomas Mount Chruch. There are two things I like about the paintings.

1. In the corner of each painting it is depicted how the disciple died.

2. In some paintings the disciples hold in one hand what they are traditionally known to be special for. For example St. Peter hold the key, traditionally he is believed to have the key to eternal life. What I specially like 'liberty' the artist used to 'conceptuatlize' some of them to be holding in that other hand - the instrument of their own martrydom. This is why I think this art is classic.

This is a beautiful idea. I am not sure why some disciples do not hold their instruments of death, I wonder if there is a tradition behind why only some disciples are depicted so. The artist seems to depict each disciple's acceptance and may be even pride in his means of martyrdom. This I think is real artist at work. Such artists create simple beauty and conceptualize astounding profoundity, what they creates is timeless.

St. Simon - sawed apart

St. Mathias - holding the axe

St. Paul - with the soward

St. Bartholomew - holding a soward that would kill him

St. Thomas - speared to death (no wonder by a guy wearing a turband and dothi)

St. Mathew - holding a sickle.

St. James - holding a club he'll be clubed with

St. Thaddaeus - holding a stump

St. Peter - holding the key to eternal life. Inverted crucifixion.

St. Andrew - The diagnol shape of his Cross made it to the Scotish Flag, St. Andrew being the patron Saint of Scotland.

St. James - beaten to death

St. John - boiled to death

St. Philip - holding a Cross in one hand and a Book in the other.

Our Lord carrying the cross to calvary and being nailed to the cross. The world is in His hands, won over by the cross. Setting the first example by taking pride and being victorious through martyrdom for us to follow through. Would we?!?!?!