The Saints of the New Breed

Name/Title

The Saints of the New Breed

Entry/Object ID

1964.1.1

Description

20th-c. oil-on-masonite painting featuring prominent political and religious figures in the 1960s as well as references to Saint Joseph's University (then Saint Joseph's College).

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Thomas F. Toner

Role

Artist

Date made

circa 1964

Time Period

20th Century

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Framed

Height

56 in

Width

69 in

Interpretative Labels

Label

Commissioned as a gift of the class of 1964, Toner’s enigmatic work communicates the experience of the tumultuous post World War II period as understood by the students. The “saints” are the three men depicted in front, including president John F. Kennedy (left), Jesuit philosopher and paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin (bottom center), and Pope St. John XXIII (r. 1958-63) (right). Toner singles out these men as contemporary heroes. The throng of students behind them stretch back all the way to Calvary, suggesting that to follow their path is to continue in the footsteps of the Lord. Throughout the scene are various references to Saint Joseph’s College, including the college shield and the distinctive silhouettes of Barbelin and Bellarmine halls.

Label Type

Credit Line

Label

Gift of the Class of 1964. Conservation and framing gift of Albert Tegler, '64.