Madonna and Child with Saints Felicity and Perpetua

Before 1520
Tempera on Wood
National Museum of Warsaw

Following the narrative in the "Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicitas," the attributes of the two saints are the swords by which they were put to death.

In her right arm Mary cradles the child and a book – two ways of seeing the "Word made flesh" (John 1:14). With her other hand she holds a yellow fruit, perhaps an apple. In this era it was common for Madonna and Child images to include a round fruit either held by the child or offered to him. The fruit is usually an obvious reference to the blood the child will shed and to the orb that elsewhere symbolizes his sovereignty. Here the symbolism is less obvious.

Read more about images of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.
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Source: this page at Wikimedia Commons.