The Staff of Saint Bernardine of Siena

I am not sure whether this dude is really a dude. In my opinion he could be something which does not quite qualify him to be a human. To get a grasp on what I'm talking about, you will need to scan through quite a few of the paintings depicting this entity.
  • Before you dismiss him being something else, and say that he is just an old dude in some of the paintings, please do take a closer look +1.
    • Make sure you use paintings by various 15th/16th century artists.
    • Another thing to consider - I am not sure that paintings match the Narrative and display who we are told they do.
  • Bernardino of Siena - Wikipedia
  • Saint Bernardine of Siena
1380-1444
SaintBernadineofSiena-1-1.jpg


Saint Bernardine of Siena
Bernardino of Siena was an Italian priest and Franciscan missionary. He was a systematizer of Scholastic economics. His popular preaching made him famous during his own lifetime because it was frequently directed against sorcery, gambling, infanticide, witchcraft, sodomy (homosexual coitus), Jews, and usury. Bernardino was later canonised by the Catholic Church as a saint - where he is also referred to as “the Apostle of Italy” - for his efforts to revive the country's Catholic faith during the 15th century.

Pietro_di_Giovanni_d'Ambrogio._St_Bernardino_196x89cm._ca.1444._Pinacoteca,_Siena.jpeg
  • He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000 to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”
The Staff
Essentially, here is what this article is for. In the below painting done by Jorge Afonso, we can see our Saint Bernardine holding a staff. I think this staff is way more than just a decorated stick. We can see those intricate spires. The ones we can often find on top of the older cathedrals and co.
  • Would be interesting to see what our blog members think about this staff.
  • Unfortunately I failed to find a better version of this image. If you run into one, please post a link
Jorge Afonso.jpg

SaintBernadineofSiena-13.jpg

This here is the same staff he is holding. As you can see, gloves have to be worn at all times. At least it appears that way. Unfortunately, this painting does not allow for a good visual inspection of the staff.

Additionally we have this image of a similar looking staff. It looks a bit more complicated that the above one.

Ambientes Sao Bernardino2.jpg


Gloves
It looks like they have to wear gloves to handle those stuffs. Every time when you think they do not have gloves on - look again. Also try to locate finger nails if you can.

bishops_books_gloves.jpg

bishop.jpg


What's on the Ground?
These here are Saints Bonaventure and Louis of Toulouse. They also like to hang out accompanied by their staffs. Of additional interest:
  • What's that circular red thing on the ground, and what could its "grounded" position symbolize?​

São_Boaventura_e_São_Luís_de_Tolosa.jpg


KD: I think the Saints with their staffs are way more than just dudes with sticks praising Lord God. If you have anything to add, please do.
  • Oh, and them staffs - I think none of us would want to get hit with one of those.
  • Tech?
  • Today we call these staffs with a fancy word "Crosier", but are today's crosiers the same staffs they had back then?
SaintBernadineofSiena-13-b.jpg


Fake Crosiers of Today
And it looks like bishops do not care to wear gloves these days. Wondering if they know they are carrying around a stick of tradition, and not the real staff of power.

Bishop_Strickland.jpg

crosier.jpg

Bishops of today really need to start paying attention, and at least pretend they are insulating their sticks.

bishops_1.jpg
 
Hi Korben, the red item on the floor in the painting above looks a lot like a Cardinals Galero. Nowadays they seem to have a half dome shape as opposed to the flat top seen above.
 
Hi Korben, the red item on the floor in the painting above looks a lot like a Cardinals Galero. Nowadays they seem to have a half dome shape as opposed to the flat top seen above.
I think you’re 100% correct.

2AC61755-DD03-460E-B079-EF207EA31F1F.jpeg

Wondering what the meaning of this hat being on the ground is. It’s not like the artist depicted it there for nothing.
 
I am not sure whether this dude is really a dude. In my opinion he could be something which does not quite qualify him to be a human.
So I debated a lot about putting this picture in this thread, as it's kind of off-topic, but I really wanted to show it off. The pictures of Bernadine reminded me of this painting that I stumbled upon last night. It gives me a very similar, unnatural, androidesque vibe (and its also from the 15th century):

Fouquet_Madonna.jpg

Madonna surrounded by seraphim and cherubim, by Jean Fouquet circa 1452
Feel free to move this someplace else more appropriate, KD. I tried to see if Fouquet did a depiction of Bernardine (felt like he should have!) but no dice.
 
Skin color is definitely weird.

Wondering what this incomplete circle was supposed to represent.

I think it's a part of the transparent veil type thing (I think) she's wearing. Which explains nothing. Her and Bernie there give me the willies though! Both look like 'something' impersonating a human being.
 
This is the other part of the Melun Diptych.

Jean_Fouquet_006.jpg

Cattura1.jpg

Do you guys think that this tits and blood painting is an original one? I have my doubts. The wiki says: "Until 1775, the diptych remained in the church of Notre Dame in Melun. In need of funds for restoration, the cathedral chapter decided to sell the panels. The right panel was purchased by the mayor of Antwerp and has remained in the city since 1840. The left panel was purchased by Clemens Brentano, a German poet, and joined his collection in 1896. The halves have been reunited twice since their separation, the first time in 1904 when France borrowed the panels from Berlin for an exhibition of French primitives and the second time in 2017, for the Jean Fouquet exhibition at Gemäldegalerie in Berlin." (Melun Diptych)
 
blood lines perhaps?

historically there's the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker ... butcher = king - empire building, baker = banker - creates the dough, candlestick maker = priest class - kingmakers
 

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