The Logic of the Attribute
An attribute is an object shown with a figure that identifies them. It refers to a familiar story, a martyrdom, or a function.
Early painted figures usually lacked individual portrait likeness. An Attribute turned an anonymous woman into Catherine of Alexandria. It served as a portable, language-independent identifier across Europe.
| Figure | Attribute | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Peter | Keys | Keys to heaven |
| Paul | Sword | His execution |
| Catherine of Alexandria | Wheel, palm | Torture wheel; martyrdom |
| Jerome | Lion | The beast he tended |
A palm signals martyrdom in general. For precise identification, artists combine several attributes.
Personifications and Limits
Abstractions also received visual bodies. Cesare Ripa published his Iconologia in 1593 as a dictionary of personifications. Artists actually used it, proving these motifs were shared conventions rather than personal inventions.
- Strongest: conventional religious scenes with stable, documented repertoires.
- Weakest: private programmes, unique commissions, or invented symbolism.
Scholars debate disguised symbolism in early Netherlandish art, where ordinary domestic objects carry theological meaning.
Common pitfall: reading every object in a picture as a symbol. Always consider the painting's context and intended function.