Saints Bernard of Clairvaux and a Sainted Youth

Mid-18th century
Left side, Altar of St. Francis Xavier
Church of St. Francis Xavier, Cáceres, Spain

Bernard is in his usual white Cistercian habit with crozier. The other saint is either Aloysius Gonzaga or Stanislaus Kostka. Both are traditionally pictured as beardless young men in black cassocks. Over the cassock Gonzaga usually has a white surplice, but and Kostka a black mantle. The figure here has nothing in his hands; usually Gonzaga holds a crucifix, and Kostka often holds the Christ Child in his arms.

Read more about St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Aloysius Gonzaga.

• Home Page
• Iconography of Aloysius Gonzaga
• This Page

Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.