Saint Barbara

c. 1475/1500

Portuguese 15th Century

Associated Names
Portuguese 15th Century

Painter

This image shows a woman standing upright, facing the viewer. She has long wavy hair and is dressed in a robe with intricate patterns in red and gold over a green garment. She wears a golden crown and holds a white feather in her right hand and supports a small tower on an open book in her left hand. The background features ornamental design and the painting is in a decorative wooden frame. Above her head is an inscription that reads "SANTA BARBA."

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on panel

  • Credit Line

    Timken Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall size: 222 x 286.6 cm (87 3/8 x 112 13/16 in.)
    overall (Saint Dionysius, painted surface): 151.5 x 54.5 cm (59 5/8 x 21 7/16 in.)
    overall (Saint Dionysius, painted surface and frame): 221 x 71.1 cm (87 x 28 in.)
    overall (Saint Sebastian, painted surface): 151.3 x 54.7 cm (59 9/16 x 21 9/16 in.)
    overall (Saint Sebastian, painted surface and frame): 222 x 71.3 cm (87 3/8 x 28 1/16 in.)
    overall (Saint Barbara, painted surface): 150 x 54.7 cm (59 1/16 x 21 9/16 in.)
    overall (Saint Barbara, painted surface and frame): 222 x 71.3 cm (87 3/8 x 28 1/16 in.)
    overall (Saint Lawrence, painted surface): 151.5 x 54.5 cm (59 5/8 x 21 7/16 in.)
    overall (Saint Lawrence, painted surface and frame): 221 x 71.1 cm (87 x 28 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1960.6.30.3

Associated Artworks

The image shows the upper half of a standing figure. The person has a full beard and mustache, a calm expression, and wears a bishop's mitre adorned with gold and red decoration. They wear a richly patterned red vestment with gold trim and hold a crozier in their hands, making a blessing gesture with their right hand. They support a second head with their left hand. The figure's hair is short and brown, slightly wavy. The background is a subdued green transitioning into a golden halo effect around the figure's head, with an ornate golden frame surrounding the painting.

St. Dionysius

Portuguese 15th Century

1475

The image shows a full-length painting of a person standing. The figure is positioned in a slightly relaxed stance, holding a staff or arrows in one hand and a sword with an ornate handle in the other. The person's face is depicted with soft, youthful features and long, flowing hair, covered with a hat or headpiece. The clothing consists of a long, dark cloak or robe layered over a richly decorated red garment and red tights accompanied by black shoes. A halo is observed behind the person's head. The painting is framed in an ornate wooden structure with intricate carvings and gold detailing, with the name "S. SEBASTIANUS" inscribed at the top. The background features a tiled floor with a golden-brown gradient backdrop.

Saint Sebastian

Portuguese 15th Century

1475

The image shows a person standing upright, dressed in ornate clergy robes with a cape draped over one shoulder. They hold a gridiron in their right hand and a book in their left hand. The individual has a serene expression and is framed by a halo. The background is textured gold and dark green, enclosed by an ornate frame with gold accents.

St. Lawrence

Portuguese 15th Century

1475

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

William Salomon [1852-1919], New York; (his estate sale, American Art Galleries, New York, 4-7 April 1923, 2nd day, no. 358, as by Spanish School, seventeenth century); T.R. Williams, New York;[1] sold to William R. Timken [1866-1949], New York; by inheritance to his widow, Lillian Guyer Timken [1881-1959], New York; bequest 1960 to NGA.
[1] "Salomon Sale, totaling $1,292,847, Third Largest in America." Art News 21 (14 April 1923): 4.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1923

  • "Salomon Sale, totaling $1,292,847, Third Largest in America." Art News 21 (14 April, 1923): 4.

  • "Salomon sale, totaling $1,292,847, Third Largest in America." Art News 21 (14 April 1923): 4.

1960

  • Canaday, John. "Flip of Coin Helps Divide Fortune In Art." New York Times 15 May (1960): 77.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 30, repro.

1990

  • Brown, Jonathan, and Richard G. Mann. Spanish Paintings of the Fifteenth through Nineteenth Centuries. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1990: 140-141, repro. 142-143.

Inscriptions

on the moldings above the painting, probably from the early 1900s: S. Dionisus; S. Sebastianus; S. Barba[r]a; S. Laurentius

Wikidata ID

Q20174160

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