Pray for Us Sinners: The Iconography and Veneration of the Saints with Art Historian Brenda Edgar, Begins March 17

$175.00

Six Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom

Tuesdays, March 17 - April 21, 2026
6 – 8 pm ET
$175 General Admission

Please note: All classes will be recorded for those unable to attend

This course invites you to discover the rich traditions of saint veneration in Catholicism through the lens of art. We’ll explore great paintings, prints, and sculptures as we journey through time, learning about both famous and lesser-known saints. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to find your own patron saint among the vibrant cast of holy figures we study.

We’ll begin with the Early Christian martyrs—saints whose stories are marked by courage and devotion, often symbolized by the tools of their suffering. Moving into the Medieval and Renaissance periods, we’ll get up close to saints like St. Clare of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena and even explore the relics connected with their lives. The Baroque era brings drama and emotion, with saints depicted in moments of agony and ecstasy, their eyes raised to heaven.

As the course unfolds, we’ll look at how sainthood and the canonization process have changed, considering political and cultural influences. We’ll learn about modern saints like St. Gianna and up-and-coming figures such as Carlo Acutis, whose journey from computer programming to candidate for sainthood shows the ongoing evolution of what it means to be holy.

The idea of patron saints is central here. You’ll explore how people form personal connections with saints whose names, stories, or attributes resonate with their own lives. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to recognize saints by their symbols and will become familiar with the major sources for their stories, including Jacobus de Voragine’s much-loved Golden Legend.

Throughout our six weekly meetings, you’re invited to share images from your own community—whether stained glass windows, statues, or paintings. Together, we’ll see how legends and devotional images were shaped by their times and cultures. Each session blends illustrated lecture, suggested readings, creative homework, and welcoming discussions.

For your final project, you’ll choose two patron saints and introduce us to their stories and artistic traditions. Our topics will span Early Christian Martyrs (1st–4th centuries), Early Medieval Saints (5th–8th centuries), Saints of the Carolingian, Ottonian, and Romanesque periods (800–1200), the Gothic and Renaissance eras (1200–1500), Baroque and 18th-century figures (1500–1800), and saints from the 19th century to today.

Brenda Edgar is an Art Historian in Louisville, KY.  Her research interests include relics and reliquaries, medieval medical manuscripts and depictions of disease in medieval art, as well as the historical role of altered states of consciousness in the creation of art. 

In addition to her work for Morbid Anatomy, she teaches Art History courses at Indiana University Southeast. Her free monthly public talk series, “Art History Illustrated,” is presented at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana.

Brenda is also a poet whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals.  Her first full-length book of poems, Dead Flowers, is being published in late 2023 through the Main Street Rag publishing company.

When she isn’t reading or writing, Brenda is a New York Times Crossword Puzzle addict as well as a yoga instructor.

Six Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom

Tuesdays, March 17 - April 21, 2026
6 – 8 pm ET
$175 General Admission

Please note: All classes will be recorded for those unable to attend

This course invites you to discover the rich traditions of saint veneration in Catholicism through the lens of art. We’ll explore great paintings, prints, and sculptures as we journey through time, learning about both famous and lesser-known saints. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to find your own patron saint among the vibrant cast of holy figures we study.

We’ll begin with the Early Christian martyrs—saints whose stories are marked by courage and devotion, often symbolized by the tools of their suffering. Moving into the Medieval and Renaissance periods, we’ll get up close to saints like St. Clare of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena and even explore the relics connected with their lives. The Baroque era brings drama and emotion, with saints depicted in moments of agony and ecstasy, their eyes raised to heaven.

As the course unfolds, we’ll look at how sainthood and the canonization process have changed, considering political and cultural influences. We’ll learn about modern saints like St. Gianna and up-and-coming figures such as Carlo Acutis, whose journey from computer programming to candidate for sainthood shows the ongoing evolution of what it means to be holy.

The idea of patron saints is central here. You’ll explore how people form personal connections with saints whose names, stories, or attributes resonate with their own lives. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to recognize saints by their symbols and will become familiar with the major sources for their stories, including Jacobus de Voragine’s much-loved Golden Legend.

Throughout our six weekly meetings, you’re invited to share images from your own community—whether stained glass windows, statues, or paintings. Together, we’ll see how legends and devotional images were shaped by their times and cultures. Each session blends illustrated lecture, suggested readings, creative homework, and welcoming discussions.

For your final project, you’ll choose two patron saints and introduce us to their stories and artistic traditions. Our topics will span Early Christian Martyrs (1st–4th centuries), Early Medieval Saints (5th–8th centuries), Saints of the Carolingian, Ottonian, and Romanesque periods (800–1200), the Gothic and Renaissance eras (1200–1500), Baroque and 18th-century figures (1500–1800), and saints from the 19th century to today.

Brenda Edgar is an Art Historian in Louisville, KY.  Her research interests include relics and reliquaries, medieval medical manuscripts and depictions of disease in medieval art, as well as the historical role of altered states of consciousness in the creation of art. 

In addition to her work for Morbid Anatomy, she teaches Art History courses at Indiana University Southeast. Her free monthly public talk series, “Art History Illustrated,” is presented at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana.

Brenda is also a poet whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals.  Her first full-length book of poems, Dead Flowers, is being published in late 2023 through the Main Street Rag publishing company.

When she isn’t reading or writing, Brenda is a New York Times Crossword Puzzle addict as well as a yoga instructor.