Jesuit Saints

I have had these two gentlemen on my desk ever since my pilgrimage to the medieval Spanish art at MNAC in Barcelona back in February, and mounted them to my sale page last night thinking they were finished at last - until my dear husband pointed out that I have neglected to paint the white highlights on one of them. Not varnished yet, fortunately, so I can correct the omission. The florid borders, a departure for me, are a homage to a Spanish altarpiece I studied and a reference to the origins of the great saint and his brave disciple. We used to recite St Ignatius' prayer in assembly at my junior school nearly half a hundred years ago: a surprising choice, given that it was not in any way a religious foundation, never mind Catholic. Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest......  The words always inspired a certain inward terror of the martyr's steely determination. My best friend began a fascination which led him to become a Jesuit himself, and for reasons entirely personal I named my own son Xavier. St Ignatius endures, but last time I passed by the school it had been razed to the ground.