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Saint Barbara

German 15th Century

1480

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Saint Barbara is a 1480 by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1480 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a woman standing in front of a tall tower. She’s dressed in a long, patterned robe with a crown on her head and holds a small object in her hands. The background is filled with detailed, repeating shapes that look like woven fabric or intricate tiles. The woman’s face has a calm expression, and the lines in the picture are sharp and precise, typical of metalcut prints. This kind of art was often used to make religious images widely available. Look up Renaissance to see how this style shaped art during that time.