Since February 14th is almost here, this piece is dedicated to the legend known as Saint Valentine. The true root of Valentine's Day is unclear, but here are a few ideas of what might have given rise to this romantic time of year.
Emperor Claudius II, who ruled the Roman empire between 268 and 270, believed single men made superior soldiers. Because of this belief, it is said that he outlawed marriage for young men.
1. Despite Claudius's being Emperor, St. Valentine believed his ruling was humanly unjust and therefore continued to marry young lovers in secret.
2. A bishop by the name of St. Valentine is said to have defied Claudius. For doing so, the Emperor sentenced him to death.
3. Another story hints that St. Valentine may have attempted to help Christians escape the cruel and unjust Roman prisons during that time. It's possible that inside one of these prisons, a man fell deeply in Love with a new acquaintance and that before his death, he wrote a letter signed "From your Valentine".
No matter the story, Saint Valentine has always been portrayed as empathetic, heroic and romantic. Which story best resonated with you?
Most of my art starts out as small pieces of individual glass that are neatly and systematically placed together and then heated to immense temperatures. These high temperatures fuse the glass together and create an individual piece of art (like the heart below). This process reminds me of how Valentine's Day may have come about: a few individual stories in time seem to have resulted in a beautiful holiday surrounded by Love and Joy. ❤️
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