Painting Saint Lucia: Renaissance portrait and Surreal Vision

This oil painting of Saint Lucia, Martyr was conceived as a dialogue between tradition and personal interpretation. My intention was to honor the visual language of the early Renaissance portrait, while allowing space for a contemporary, surreal disruption that speaks to symbolism, sacrifice, and spiritual vision.

final touches on Saint Lucia

Choosing a Renaissance Portrait Language

I approached the painting as if constructing a portrait from the beginning of the Renaissance period. This meant prioritizing clarity of form, balanced composition, and a calm, frontal presence. Saint Lucia is depicted with a restrained dignity, echoing the devotional portraits of the 14th and early 15th centuries, where saints were presented not as dramatic figures but as timeless embodiments of faith.

The palette was deliberately limited and warm, allowing the flesh tones and drapery to feel grounded and luminous. I worked in thin oil layers, gradually building volume through sharp contrasts, reflecting meditative process characteristic of early oil painting techniques.

I worked in thin oil layers, gradually building volume through sharp contrasts.

Process and Technique

I began with a tonal underpainting to establish structure and light. From there, I developed the figure through successive glazes, carefully refining the facial features to maintain serenity and stillness. The brushwork remains subtle, avoiding visible bravura in favor of smooth surfaces that draw attention to form and expression rather than gesture.

Throughout the process, I remained conscious of keeping the figure anchored in tradition—her posture, expression, and clothing all reference historical iconography associated with Saint Lucia.

By transforming the eyes into blooming flowers, I aimed to suggest renewal, transcendence, and inner sight rather than violence or loss.

Breaking the Structure: A Surreal Intervention

While the overall composition adheres to Renaissance conventions, I intentionally disrupted this structure through a surreal element: Saint Lucia’s eyes floating above her hand in the form of flowers.

In Christian iconography, Saint Lucia is often depicted holding her eyes on a dish, symbolizing her martyrdom and association with vision—both physical and spiritual. Instead of presenting this symbol literally, I chose a poetic reinterpretation. By transforming the eyes into blooming flowers, I aimed to suggest renewal, transcendence, and inner sight rather than violence or loss.

This surreal gesture breaks the expected narrative space of the painting. The eyes are no longer bound to anatomy or gravity; they exist as offerings, delicate and symbolic, bridging the sacred and the imaginative.

The pendant was the most important jewelry during the renaissance

Meaning and Intention

This painting is not meant as a historical reconstruction, but as a conversation across time. The Renaissance framework provides stability, reverence, and order, while the surreal element introduces ambiguity and introspection. Together, they reflect how sacred stories can remain alive—reinterpreted through personal vision without losing their spiritual weight.

Through this work, I sought to explore how devotion, symbolism, and contemporary imagination can coexist on the same canvas, allowing Saint Lucia to be seen not only as a martyr of the past, but as a timeless figure of inner light and transformation.

How to collect the original piece "Saint Lucia of Syracuse"!