Saint Dorothy, and: Saint Nicholas
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Saint Dorothy, and: Saint Nicholas
With flowers in her hair, and holding fruit,the virgin saint of Caesarea liftssome unknown tool of torture. Her reputeis based on these, her martyrdom, her gifts.
The central plane, ornate, is flat; but boldperspective, nascent, with its angled lines,creates a deepened border—leaves of goldand spiraled latticework with climbing vines.
Below, a scene from Paradise: low wall,two music-making angels, and a wellwhence flow two rivers. Peaceful. But the Fallawaits mankind: temptation, exile, hell. [End Page 70]
Saint Nicholas
No banderole along the edge, no chain;instead, a deckled ivory velum, curled,resembling clouds. The corners are profane:in each, three monstrous moons, a lunar world
of greedy faces. On a starry ground,dark blue, the saint is framed in bishop’s dress,with miter, crozier, chasuble; aroundhis head, a light. He lifts his hand to bless
imperiled seamen, as he gave, in gold,his charity to women, to endowthem, saving them thereby from being soldas prostitutes. What anguish for him, now. [End Page 71]
Catharine Savage Brosman, known widely for her poetry, criticism, essays, and short fiction, is Professor Emerita of French at Tulane University. She is the author of twelve poetry collections; the latest are A Memory of Manaus (2017) and Chained Tree, Chained Owls (2020). A new volume of poems, Arm in Arm, will be out in 2022.
