St. Joseph, from Mockery to the Cult. Iconographic Changes of Betrothal of the Virgin in the Italian Art

Late medieval representations of St. Joseph in art as almost decrepit in the company of a young wife gave rise to mockery in the Western world. The religious meaning of the saint's appearance was that the divine role entrusted to Joseph was that of custodian of Mary, and not a possible erotic threat to her. Based on a comparative study of iconography, I explore how an irreverent gesture of menace directed toward St. Joseph in the scene Betrothal of the Virgin can particularly be explained in the Italian art of the 14(th) and 15(th) centuries. On a larger scale, the article looks into how the Roman Catholic Church accommodated new theological meanings in order to allow younger representations of St. Joseph, and to expel any disruptive details out of art.