Italian Master
Italian, active late 13th century
St. Helena with the True Cross, c. 1290
Gouache and ink on vellum

This illuminated manuscript cutting is the earliest dated artwork in the Thrivent Art Collection. Illuminated manuscripts, so named for their sumptuously illustrated and embellished nature, are often gilded with rare pigments and precious metals. The luminous adornments applied to these texts were meant to glorify God and illuminate, even brighten, the words and images. These hand-painted books took months or years to complete.

Here, we see Saint Helena (c. 246/248-330 CE), mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (272-337 CE), presenting her son with the religious relic of the True Cross (which, legend tells, she uncovered). The pigment remains wonderfully vivid, more than 700 years later. Constantine is renowned for legalizing all religions in the Roman Empire around 313 CE, this act allowed Christianity to flourish. Some scholars believe Helena instilled Christian beliefs in her son, which emphasizes the significance of the passing of this relic between them.