St. Nicholas in Glory with St. John the Baptist, St. Lucy and below St. George Slaying the Dragon 1529

Lorenzo Lotto painted “St. Nicholas in Glory with St. John the Baptist, St. Lucy, and below St. George Slaying the Dragon” in Venice during the 16th century. Commissioned for the church of Santa Maria dei Carmini, it reflects the period's religious fervor. The painting is a social tableau, where gender and power dynamics play out through symbolic representation. Saint Lucy is often invoked for assistance with ailments of the eyes. She sits next to John the Baptist, who subverts traditional depictions by being naked, in the wilderness, emphasizing his humility and penance. Saint George at the bottom completes a hierarchy of holy figures and moral virtue. Lotto’s work captures a moment of cultural negotiation, where religious doctrine meets human complexity. The artwork doesn’t just depict saints; it invites reflection on the values they represent and how these intersect with our own struggles. It reminds us that even in the most elevated of settings, the personal and emotional dimensions of faith remain profoundly human.