During 2016 the Order of Preachers, the religious order
founded by Saint Dominic, celebrated the 800th anniversary of
their approval by Pope Honorius III.
Eight hundred years is a long time and during that period much has
happened in the world. In those centuries,
the Dominican order has produced many great saints. One of the greatest of these is the saint
whose feast day is celebrated on January 28.
He is perhaps the greatest philosopher and theologian of the western
church between the death of Saint Augustine in the early fifth century till
today. He is Saint Thomas Aquinas. And January 2025 marks the end of a three-year celebration leading up to his 800th birthday in 2025. As part of that celebration, his skull, preserved with his body at Toulouse in France, was sent on a tour of the eastern United States, stopping at major churches served by the Dominican order. I was fortunate enough to join in the evening of veneration at the nearby church of Saint Vincent Ferrer in New York. It was a moving experience to behold the bone that once encased the mind of this incredible saint who was a theologian, philosopher, mystic and poet.
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Reliquary containing the skull of Saint Thomas Aquinas at the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer, New York
December 16, 2024
(Photo: Margaret Duffy) |
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Woman and children venerating the relic of Saint Thomas Aquinas at the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer, New York
December 16, 2024
(Photo: Jeffrey Bruno) |
Life and Importance
Saint Thomas was born in 1225 into the
noble family of the Counts of Aquino in Roccasecca in the Lazio region of Italy. Thomas’ early education took place in the monastery of Montecassino and was continued
in Naples. In Naples he encountered the
Dominican order for the first time and resolved to join them. His family was appalled by his decision and
took drastic measures to change his mind, basically kidnapping him and
confining him in a family castle for a year while they tried to change his
mind. He proved adamant and was finally
released and allowed to join the Dominicans.
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Master of Catherine of Cleves, Saint Thomas Aquinas
from Hours of Catherine of Cleves
Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1435-1445
New York, Pierpont Morgan Library
MS M 917, fol. 287 |
He was sent to Paris, then the center of advanced education in Europe,
where he studied under his fellow Dominican, Albert the Great. Saint Albert was impressed by the boy’s
intellect and took him along as an assistant when he was moved to Cologne in
1248. It was during this time that the
quiet Thomas was given the name of “dumb ox” by his fellow students. Saint Albert is reputed to have admonished them
by saying “We call him the
dumb ox, but he will give such a bellow in learning as will be heard all over
the world.” While in Cologne he became a teacher. He later moved back to Paris, where he also
gained his master and doctorate degrees.1
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Anonymous Woodcut, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1450
Washington, DC, National Gallery of Art |
Later in his relatively brief life he was sent by his order
from place to place to teach his fellow Dominicans, especially those of the
Italian province based at Santa Sabina in Rome.
While in Rome he was also appointed as papal theologian. In Rome he began the work that has been
considered his masterpiece ever since, the Summa Theologica. This massive work covers practically the
entire world of thought and belief and has been a foundational document for
both the church and western philosophical and theological thought from that day
to this. Saint Thomas is renowned for
applying Aristotelian logic to both the natural world and to Christian revelation.
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+ Francisco de Herrera, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Spanish, c. 1656
Seville, Museo de Bellas Artes |
In addition to being one of the great intellects of the
West, Thomas was also a mystic and poet.
Numerous accounts from his own time suggest that he had attained a high
state of mystical union with God, evidenced by reports of levitations and
visions.
One of the requests he received as papal theologian that also called upon his poetic talents
came from Pope Urban IV in 1264. Pope
Urban asked him to compose the prayers and hymns for the newly approved feast
of Corpus Christi (or Corpus Domini).
This feast, in honor of the Body and Blood of Christ manifested in the
Eucharist, had begun in northern Europe and had spread to the entire
church. The beautifully poetic material
Thomas prepared is still used to this day and includes some of the best known Catholic
hymns in honor of the Blessed Sacrament.
Among them are the “Pange lingua”,
sung every year on Holy Thursday and Corpus Christi. The last two verses are the text for the hymn
“Tantum Ergo” which is sung at
every Benediction service. Also still in
use is the sequence he composed for the feast, “Lauda Sion”, as well as the prayers for the Divine Office and for
the Mass of Corpus Christi. Numerous
other prayers still in use are also attributed to Saint Thomas. While the Summa may not have become a
household word for every Catholic, virtually everyone has been touched at one
time or another by these hymns and prayers.
In 1274 Thomas was teaching in Naples when he was summoned
by Pope Gregory X to meet him in Lyons for a Council. Saint Thomas began his journey, but fell ill on
the way while still only south of Rome. He was welcomed
into the Cistercian monastery of Fossanova and died there on March 7. He was 49.
His exemplary life and work resulted in his canonization in 1323. In 1667 he was given the rare title of Doctor
of the Church.
Saint Thomas in Art
The iconography of Saint Thomas Aquinas can be divided into
several categories, depending on the approach of the artist (or his/her patron)
to the subject. There are: portraits and
“triumphs”, scenes from his life and/or his legend, as one of a group of saints
and as imagined by Dante in the Divine Comedy.
We will look at all of them below.
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Jacques Callot, Saint Thomas Aquinas From Les Images de Tous les Saincts et Saintes de l'Année French, 1636 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
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Portraits
The simplest images of Saint Thomas are portraits. No “real” portraits of Saint Thomas were done in his lifetime. Indeed, the concept of a portrait as we understand it was not even conceivable during the century in which he lived. What images there were that attempted to convey a representation of an individual person were highly stylized. But we do see such images within 100 years of his death.
At first they are stylized as might be expected, but as time progressed they became more and more individuated until a recognizable type had evolved.
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Jean le Noir and collaborators, Saint Thomas Aquinas Teaching
From the Breviary of Charles V
French (Paris), c. 1364-1370
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 1052, fol. 348v |
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Jacopo Landini, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1350-1400
Avignon, Musée du Petit Palais |
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He is presented in
his Dominican habit of black and white, and usually displays or carries a book
and pen. He may have the image of the
radiant sun on his chest, a symbol of the radiant light he shed on
philosophical and theological thought.
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Fra Angelico, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1440-1445
Venice, Collezione Vittorio Cini |
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Attributed to Sandro Botticelli, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1481-1482
Riggisberg (Switzerland), Abegg Collection |
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Master of James IV of Scotland, Saint Thomas Aquinas
From the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile
Flemish (Ghent), c. 1497
London, British Library
MS Additional 18851, fol. 331v |
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Jean Bourdichon, Saint Thomas Aquinas
From Hours of Frederic of Aragon
French (Tours), c. 1501-1504
Paris, Bibliotheeque nationale de France
MS Latin 10532. fol. 364v |
He may also carry a model of a church, shown sometimes in a partially ruinous state. I have not been able to find any solid information on the meaning of this symbol.
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Tomaso da Modena, Saint Thomas Aquinas From the Beauchamp/Warwick Hours and Psalter Italian, c. 1430-1487 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 893, fol. 263r
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* Thomas Christian Scheffler, Saint Thomas Aquinas Meditating on the Annunciation
German, c. 1750-1751
Dillingen, Church of the Assumption |
Because of his work on composing the liturgy for the feast of Corpus Christi and his general devotion to the Holy Eucharist, he is very often depicted with a monstrance in his hand or nearby.
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Peter Paul Rubens, The Defenders of the Eucharist
Flemish, 1625
Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado
In this great Eucharistic tapestry design by Rubens, Saint Thomas Aquinas holds the central position among Saints Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great, Clare of Assisi, Norbert and Jerome. |
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Abraham van Deipenbeeck, Saint Thomas Aquinas Flemish, Before 1675 Valenciennes, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
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Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, 18th Century
Nardò, Church of San Domenico
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Thomas’ Life and Legend
Thomas’ life was largely spent in study, lecturing, writing
and prayer, the life of an intellectual and a saint, but not the most picturesque
of actions. However, there are a number
of images that have come down to us that illustrate his activities.
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Life of Saint Thomas Aquinas From the Hours of Louis of Savoy French (Savoy), c. 1445-1460 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 9473, fol. 174v This illumination shows multiple events from the life of Saint Thomas. Beginning at the upper left we see Thomas receiving the habit of the Dominican Order, below that are two scenes from his imprisonment by his brothers: his encounter with the prostitute hired by the brothers to tempt him and, below that, his visitation by angels who placed a belt (indicating chastity) on his waist. On the right are scenes from his later life: in his study in conversation with Saints Peter and Paul, levitating in ecstasy before the Crucifix from which Christ spoke to him and Saint Paul bringing the Christ Child to him on his deathbed, while a newly appearing star that was interpreted as a sign of his impending death shines down.
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Pedro Berruguete, Saint Thomas Aquinas Receives the Dominican Habit
Spanish, c. 1494-1500
Avila, Royal Monastery of Santo Tomas |
There are also a number of pictures that present “events”
from the legends that sprang up about him.
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Erhard Altdorfer, Scenes from the Life of Saint Thomas Aquinas
From the Altar of Saint Thomas Aquinas
German, c. 1520
Lübeck, Sankt-Annen Museum
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Among these is the story of an event from the time of his imprisonment
by his family. His brothers were
reported to have hired a prostitute to entice him to abandon his Dominican vow
of chastity.
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Bernardo Daddi, The Temptation of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, 1338
Berlin, Gemäldegalerie der Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
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Diego Velazquez, The Temptation of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Spanish, c. 1631-1632
Oriola, Museo Diocesano del Arte Sacro |
According to the legend,
her appearance had the opposite effect.
Thomas is reported to have beaten her off with a firebrand and expelled
her from his prison room. Following this
heroic defense of his virtue he was visited in a dream by two angels who bound his
waist with a belt. This imaginary belt
is credited with preserving him from temptations of the flesh for the rest of
his life.
Other life events that were often depicted were Thomas as assistant to Saint Albert the Great, Thomas inspired by the Holy Spirit, Thomas visited by Saints Peter and Paul, Thomas presenting his liturgy for the feast of Corpus Christi to Pope Urban IV and Thomas visiting and visited by his Franciscan contemporary Saint Bonaventure.
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Sassetta, Saint Thomas Aquinas Inspired by the Holy Spirit
Italian, 1423
Budapest, National Museum
The tiny dove of the Holy Spirit can just be made out against the arch of the yellowish door to the left of the figure of Saint Thomas.
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| Bartolomeo degli Erri, Saint Thomas Aquinas Visited by Saints Peter and Paul
Italian, ca. 1470
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Taddeo di Bartolo, Saint Thomas Aquinas Presenting the Office of Corpus Christi to Pope Urban IV
Italian, c. 1400
Philadelphia, Museum of Art |
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Alessandro da Bologna, Saint Thomas Aquinas Visiting Saint Bonaventure From Legend and Life of Saint Francis of Assisi by Saint Bonaventure Italian, 1504 London, British Library MS Harley 3229, fol. 26 |
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Anonymous, Saint Bonaventure Visiting Saint Thomas Aquinas
Peruvian, 18th Century
Philadelphia, Museum of Art
In this charming painting Saint Thomas has been given wings. This is presumably due to his title of "Angelic Doctor". |
But it is a series of author portraits by the Neapolitan illuminator Matteo Felice and his workshop that probably most accurately depict the daily activities of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Felice and his workshop were active in Naples in the decades around 1500 and illuminated a number of important books, including this set of works by Aquinas.
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Matteo Felice and Workshop, Saint Thomas Aquinas Writing
From Super Isaaiam by Thomas Aquinas
Italian (Naples), c. 1489-1492
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 495, fol. 1r |
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Matteo Felice and Workshop, Saint Thomas Aquinas Writing
From Expositio in Paauli epistolam ad romanos by Thomas Aquinas
Italian (Naples), c. 1489-1492
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 674, fol. 1r |
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Matteo Felice and Workshop, Saint Thomas Aquinas Teaching
From Sententia super librum de caelo et mundo by Thomas Aquinas
Italian (Naples), c. 1489-1492
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 6525, fol. 1r
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A much later painting adds another idea of what a day in the life of Thomas Aquinas may have been like.
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Louis Francois Prosper Roux, Saint Thomas Aquinas Dictating
French, 1877
Le Puy-en-Velay, Musee Crozatier |
The Vision of the Speaking Crucifix
Related to the scenes from his life and the legends that
grew up about him are a series of images of a particular vision granted to him
near the end of his life. In 1273 it was
reported by one of his brothers that as Thomas knelt (or stood or levitated) in
front of a crucifix a voice came from the cross and said "You have written
well of me, Thomas. What reward would you have for your labor?" to which
Thomas replied "Nothing but you, Lord."
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The Vision of Saint Thomas Aquinas
From the Psalter and Hours of Alfonso V of Aragon
Spanish (Aragon), c. 1442
London, British Library
MS Add 28962, fol. 36r |
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Master of James IV of Scotland, The Vision of Saint Thomas Aquinas
From the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile
Flemish (Ghent),c. 1497
London, British Library
MS Additional 18851, fol. 348r
This image is interesting in that it includes two witnesses to the vision of Saint Thomas. Thee is a fellow Dominican friar and a person in secular dress. The event was apparently witnessed by at least one person. Saint Thomas is shown seated, but in an attitude of prayer. In addition, an angel hovers above him with a crown to show Thomas' sanctity.
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Francesco Morandini, The Vision of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1590-1593
Prato, Church of San Domenico |
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Santi di Tito, The Vision of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, 1593
Florence, Convento di San Marco |
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Workshop of Jacopo Tintoretto, The Vision of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, 1598
Chioggia, Church of San Domenico |
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* Otto van Veen, Saint Thomas and the Speaking Crucifix
From Vita D. Thomae Aquinitatis
Antwerp 1610, p. 17
Flemish, 1610
London, The Warburg Institute |
It was after this incident that Thomas was
reputed to have told a friend that after his experience “all that I have
written seems like straw to me”.
Other Visions
This was not the only vision that Saint Thomas Aquinas received during his lifetime. He also appears to have received visions of angels (including the two who presented him with the belt following his family's attempt to divert him from his intentions of becoming a friar). These visions are not as well represented in his iconography but there are at least two that I have found.
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The Vision of Saint Thomas Aquinas
From Festes nouvelles by Jean Golein
French (Paris), 15th Century
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 242, fol. 323r |
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Francesco Zugno, The Vision of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1725-1750
Troyes, Musee des Beaux-Arts et d'archeologie
Note that in this charming picture the "Angelic Doctor" actually has wings! |
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*Johann Anwander, Saint Thomas Aquinas Receiving Angelic Inspiration
German, 1762
Dillingen, Church of the Assumption |
Allegories
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Fra Angelico, The San Domenico Altarpiece
Italian, c. 1423-1424
Fiesole, Church of San Domenico
Saint Thomas is the Domincan figure to the left of the painting. |
In addition to the pictures that are based on what is known
of his life and of the legends embroidered onto it there are what might be
called allegorical pictures of Thomas Aquinas.
These are images in which Thomas is seen as one of a group of saints and
of a group of pictures called The Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The group pictures are usually composed of
other Dominican saints, especially Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of
Preachers, and Saint Peter Martyr, one of the earliest Dominican saints.
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Fra Angelico, The Madonna and Child with Saints Dominic and Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1445
St. Petersberg, State Hermitage Museum
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Saint Thomas Aquinas as an Intercessor
Images in this category show Saint Thomas as an intercessor for others, living (at the time of the painting) or dead.
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Filippino Lippi, The Annunciation with a Donor and Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1489-1491
Rome, Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Here Saint Thomas the donor of the picture, who appears to be a cardinal, to the Blessed Virgin depicted as at the Annunciation.
 | * Matthäus Günther, Saints Vincent Ferrer and Thomas Aquinas Interceding for Souls in Purgatory
German, 1758
Indersdorf, Abbey Church |
Here the two Dominican saints, Vincent Ferrer who was famed as a preacher, and Thomas Aquinas intercede for the souls in Purgatory. Each friar saint has angel wings and each has a golden trumpet. Saint Vincent holds a paten, the gold plate on which the Host rests during Mass, which is filled with Hosts. Saint Thomas holds a golden chalice from which the Blood of Christ flows over clouds to fall into the fires of Purgatory to extinguish them. Sbove and to the left of the two angelic saints is Saint Catherine of Siena who is receiving the rosary from the Virgin and Child, unfortunately cut off in this view. To the right of the two saints an angel (?, cut off) holds a golden cornucopia from which spill three floral crowns, one of white, one of purple and one of gold. These three crowns represent the three groups of the mysteries of the rosary: the Joyful, the Sorrowful and the Glorious Mysteries.
The Triumphs of Saint Thomas AquinasIn the Triumph pictures Saint Thomas is seen as the central figure of the composition, usually shown seated and holding an open book.2
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Lippo Memmi, The Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1343
Pisa, Church of Santa Caterina |
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Andrea da Firenze, The Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1366-1367
Florence, Church of Santa Maria Novella. Cappellone degli Spagnoli |
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Benozzo Gozzoli, The Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1470-1475
Paris, Musée du Louvre
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Filippino Lippi, The Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Italian, c. 1489-1491
Rome, Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Carafa Chapel |
He is surrounded by other figures, often comprising angels, saints and
other philosophers and theologians. At
his feet in the majority of the pictures is a prone figure, often identified as
Averroës, the Spanish Arabic philosopher.
Averroës (born Ibn Ruěd) was an important twelfth century philosopher,
one of the Spanish Arabs through whom the writings of Aristotle re-entered
Western Europe. He died approximately 27
years before St. Thomas was born. Thomas
wrote an important refutation of Averroës theory of the soul, "De
unitate intellectus contra Averroistas", which upheld the Christian understanding of the individual character of
the soul and individual immortality.
This is the specific “triumph” that is celebrated in these pictures, as
well as the entire body of Thomas’ works.
Some much later works depict Thomas Aquinas as one of the most prominent figures of the development of Theology.
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+ Matthäus Günther, The Holy Trinity Surrounded by Art and Science German, 1760 Aldersbach, Former Cistercian Abbey
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* Johann Anwander, The Virgin Mary on the Throne of Solomon, Surrounded by Saints and Venerated by Bishops
German, 1762
Dillingen, University
Saint Thomas Aquinas is here depicted as one of the white statues that are attached to the pillars of the Throne of Solomon. He is the first statue to the left of the Throne. |
The Apotheosis of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Another group of works might be called an apotheosis of Saint Thomas Aquinas. In these pictures Thomas is seen as entering into heaven or resident there as one of the Doctors of the Church, with the earlier doctors: Saints Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Jerome and Gregory the Great.
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Francesco Solimena, Saint Thomas Aquinas Received in Heaven
Italian, c. 1625-1649
Lille, Musée des Beaux-Arts
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Francisco de Zurbaran, The Apotheosis of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Spanish, c. 1631
Seville, Museo de Bellas Artes
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Jakob Vogel, Saint Thomas Aquinas With the Doctors of the Church
German, c. 1732
Bamberg, Former Domincan Convent of Saint Christopher |
Saint Thomas in Dante
Finally, there is a
small group of manuscript illustrations of the Divine Comedy of Dante in which
Saint Thomas is included in the heaven of the Sun, where he introduces those who
share this place in heaven with him.3
The number of spirits differ in these illustrations, but most likely
include Saint Thomas himself, along with Saint Dominic and Saint Francis of Assisi.
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Master of the Antiphoner of Padua, Dante and Beatrice Meet Saint Thomas Aquinas
From Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy
Italian, c. 1300-1350
London, British Library
MS Egerton 943, fol. 146 |
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The Heaven of the Sun
From Dante Alighiei, Divine Comedy
Italian (Florence), c. 1345-1355
New York, Pierpont Morgan Library
MS M 676, fol. 103 |
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Giovanni di Paolo, Dante and Beatrice Meet Saint Thomas Aquinas
From Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy
Italian, c. 1444-1450
London, British Library
MS Yates Thompson 36, fol. 148
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A marvelous summation of Saint Thomas’ life is expressed in the words of Frederick Copleston, S.J., the
historian of philosophy: “it was a life
devoted to the pursuit and defence of truth, a life also permeated and motivated
by a deep spirituality … he was a great deal more than a professor or
theologian, for he was a Saint, and even if his devotion and love are not
allowed to manifest themselves in the pages of his academic works, the
ecstasies and mystical union with God of his later years bear witness to the
fact that the truths of which he wrote were the realities by which he lived”.4
© M. Duffy, 2016, additional text and images added 2023, selected images updated 2024.
Several new images and selected updated images were added in 2025.
+ Indicates updated image
* Indicates new image.
_____________________________________________________________
- Butler,
Rev. Alban. The Lives of the Fathers,
Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, Vol. III, Dublin, James Duffy, 1866,
pp. 38-55. See also: Kennedy, Daniel. "Saint Thomas
Aquinas." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New
York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 28 Jan. 2016 .
- For a discussion of these pictures see: Polzer, Joseph. "The "Triumph of Thomas" panel in Santa Caterina, Pisa. Meaning and Date", Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz, Vol. 37. Bd., H. 1 (1993), pp. 29-70.
- Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, Paradiso, Cantos 10-12.
- Copleston, Frederick, S.J. A History of Philosophy, Volume II
Medieval Philosophy, New York, Doubleday, 1993, p. 304.
