About suffering they were never wrong, the Old Masters

A closer look at John the Baptist.

I've always loved how in the Eastern tradition, the faces of saints look as though they know something about suffering, that they earned their heaven through pain and tears.

Western artists have painted Mary weeping often enough, but the saints are generally way too comfortable looking. Even if they're in the throes of gory martyrdom, they tend to look awfully calm about the situation.