Against a turbulent sky, four Innocents wave palm branches, the symbol of the martyr’s victory over death adapted from the military triumphs of antiquity. Their gaze is turned aloft, in contemplation of the beatific vision, while the earth—with Bethlehem on the horizon—is stained with their blood. Nimbi inset with golden flowers crown their heads, a reference to the hymn, Salvete flores martyrum—“Hail, Flowers of the Martyrs,” sung on their feast. >>Read more…