St. John Gualbert 

Luca di Tommé painted Saint John Gualbert, a Christian saint, likely in the second half of the 14th century. He is depicted with a halo and holding a book, visual indicators of his saintly status and role as a scholar or teacher. The book, a symbol of knowledge and scripture, is a powerful motif, which reappears throughout art history. Think of the ancient philosophers depicted in Greek and Roman sculpture holding scrolls; symbols of wisdom. The color of the book and the saint’s robe are muted, perhaps reflective of a turn to humbleness and penitence. This connects to the psychological aspect of repentance, often depicted in religious art to elicit empathy from viewers. The motif of holding a book reappears again and again, evolving from ancient symbols of wisdom to religious symbols of scripture and, later, indicators of literacy and learning. Its continuous evolution underlines how cultural memory shapes and reshapes symbols through time.