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Saint Barbara

German 15th Century

1500

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Saint Barbara is a 1500 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1500 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a woman with wings holding a tower. She wears a crown and a long, flowing robe. Behind her is a small town with a church spire, and some people are gathered near a river. The text at the top reads "S BA O K B A R A," which is likely short for *Saint Barbara*. The artist used woodcut—ink pressed into wood—to make the lines, then added color by hand. Look up woodcut to see how artists carved and printed images before photography.