In this
painting of the Madonna and Child in Majesty, the saints of Heaven are giving
glory to the Christ and yet are also taking part in that glory. It is a
depiction of the glory of the saints, whose crown is to kneel in adoration of
God in the beatific vision and glory in Him and be glorified through Him. The
Queen Mother is enthroned as the highest of the saints, holding her Son. This
is her right, as she was the Mother of God and was without sin. Sitting upon
the throne that is covered in a golden cloth, her clothes themselves hint at
her majesty with the depth of color that belongs to her attire alone as the
most majestic next to her Son and Queen of all saints. In addition to the depth
of color, these robes of hers are lined with gold. Surrounding the enthroned
Madonna and Child, are the saints and angels. Each saint bears a symbol to
represent who they are. Beginning on the left is St. Catherin of Alexandria
with a palm branch, then St. Paul with a sword symbolizing how he died, then
St. John the Evangelist holding a gold bound book. Kneeling in front on the
left are two patrons of Sienna, Sts. Ansanus and Savinus. Starting on the right
and moving in are: St. Agnes, holding a medallion of the Lamb and a martyr’s
cross of red, then St. Peter, also holding a book like St. John, then John the
Baptist, atop the staff of which there is a martyr’s cross. Kneeling are two
more patrons of Sienna, Sts. Crescentius and Victor. Along the top of the
painting are the other Apostles, and surrounding the saints and Madonna and
Child are many angels. The crosses held by the saints represent the way they
sacrificed themselves for God: the red crosses symbolize martyrdom and the
white cross represents purity and innocence (St. Crescentius who bears this
symbol was a young boy when martyred for his faith by Diocletian). Though each
saint is individualized, the one mark they all bear in common is the golden
halo of their holiness in the sight of God. Happy Feast of All Saints Day!
