Saint Nicholas

Jacopo Tintoretto, Saint Nicholas of Bari, 1591-1592, oil on canvas, 111 x 56 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien

Nicholas was a popular clergyman in Lycia, and quickly was elected as the bishop and ordained as a priest.  After his death, many charitable acts and miracles were attributed to him, and in Northern Europe he became the basis for Santa Claus.

Aside from those seen here, his attributes include bread, an anchor, and three children in a tub.