Análisis iconográfico de dos santos cuidadores: San Juan de Dios y San Martín de Porres

Abstract

The aim of this test is to perform an iconographic analysis of two saints fundamental for the history of nursing such as, San Juan de Dios and San Martín de Porres. The starting point is the colonial period where the first religious orders are found in Latin America soil starting the inclusion of the indigenous within different fields of european culture, including the field of care, where San Juan de Dios is considered founder of the order of the hospital brothers, who have a particular and methodical way to treat patients and who by their example It modifies the way of treating the patient; on the other hand is San Martín de Porres, first mulatto saint of Latin America whose motto was “I will heal, God healthy you”. Taking as a starting point the iconographic method proposed by Erwin Panofsky, which helps us to know the meaning in each painting, through documentary research, we can relate the iconographic elements or attributes of each of these saints, present in the studied works. Therefore, we conclude that the act of care is present in both works, showing us the pictorial language through a series of virtues of these holy caregivers.