Do you know your iconography?

 When looking at art from the middle ages on, one has to be fairly savvy about Church history and iconography (a branch of art history that looks to the ways that events and individuals were identified by way of symbols, objects and/or gestures).

Let's start with an easy one.  Who is this?

It is a woman holding her eyeballs on a platter.  Easy.  Santa Lucia.  She was martyred by having her eyes gouged out.  She is the patron saint of the blind.

Next one.  Again, easy!

Man shot up with arrows.  Saint Sebastian!  He was martyred this way and is now the patron saint of archers!

Here:

Man holding what looks like a body suit, but it is actually his skin.  And usually he is holding the tool of his martyrdom as well.  It's Saint Bartholomew! He was skinned while alive, which of course made him dead.  He is the patron saint of butchers, tanners and shoemakers.  Whoa!

Who is always depicted with a dragon that has a collar on?:

It's Saint Margaret.  She tamed a dragon.  Actually, she was imprisoned for her beliefs and while there, a dragon appeared to her (obviously Satan) and swallowed her whole.  She prayed and it belched her out.  Thus, she is the patron saint of childbirth.

To her right, is Saint Clare.  Santa Chiara.  Clear vision.  She is the patron saint of television.  To her left is another easy one.  It's Mary Magdalene.  Always depicted with long hair and a bottle of perfume because they harken to her washing Jesus's feet and drying them with her hair.  She is the patron saint of beauticians.  

Next:

If he's got a tonsure and the stigmata, it's Saint Francis.

A guy with rocks on his head.  It's Saint Stephen.  He was stoned to death.  He is the patron saint of bricklayers.

Surely you can get this one.... a man with a big key.....  Yes!  Saint Peter!

How did you do?  Ciao bella!  Baci!