St. Dominic stands in an attitude of contemplation, with his hand raised in a gesture of preaching. His stance embodies the motto of the Dominican Order, “to contemplate and pass on to others the fruit of contemplation.”

The light of Truth, shining in his intellect, is depicted by a gold star that hovers on his forehead. In his right hand is a book inscribed with the word, “Veritas,” Truth.

Finally, Dominic is flanked by a dog with a torch in its mouth. This hearkens to the strange and striking dream his mother had during her pregnancy with Dominic. She dreamt she gave birth to a dog who used a flaming torch to set fire to the world. Dominic himself truly was a dog of the Lord, loyal and true: hence the nickname of the Order “Domini canis.”