I caught hold of the pillars and destroyed the whole building! Triumphing I am tormented, tormentedly I triumph.

The only thing we know about Donatus was that he was an architect and built a famous pagan temple in Eastern Spain. The story goes that he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin just before the temple was finished and had a change of heart. He called down lightning to destroy the temple. A small fragment of one of the pillars flew into his right eye, blinding him instantly during the destruction. From that moment on, he wandered from village to village healing the blind by brushing their faces with palm fronds. This is all we know.

Watercolor and gold on paper. Copyright 2010 Kelley Vandiver