Date: Monday, March 6, 2023
Time: 7 pm EST

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The cult of relics (body parts of saints) was integral to medieval Christianity, but it saw a second Golden Age during the Baroque period of the 17^th century. Many medieval reliquaries (containers for relics), along with their contents, had been destroyed during the Protestant Reformation, so when a previously unknown catacomb was discovered in Rome in 1578, the remains of countless early Christians were reassembled, richly decorated with extravagant fabrics, gold, and gemstones, and dispersed throughout Northern Europe.

Tonight, join Art History Professor Brenda Edgar as we get to know these sparkling skeletal saints!

Brenda Edgar is an Art Historian in Louisville, KY. She is also a poet whose work has most recently appeared in the literary journals Better Than Starbucks and Rust + Moth; her poetry will also be featured in 2022 issues of The Blue Mountain Review, The Main Street Rag, and Crosswinds.

When she isn’t reading or writing, Brenda is a New York Times Crossword Puzzle addict, an avid yogi, and a performance driving enthusiast.

Brenda’s 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.

Her free monthly public talk series, “Art History Illustrated,” is presented at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana.