Artwork
Saint Barbara
Saint Barbara is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Master of Becerril. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil on wooden panel, measuring 145 cm in height and 65 cm in width.
The work is executed in oil on wooden panel, measuring 145 cm in height and 65 cm in width. The Master of Becerril employs delicate layering and fine brushwork to render the figure of Saint Barbara, emphasizing her contemplative posture and richly detailed garments. The composition balances luminous color fields with crisp linear outlines, creating a harmonious interplay of light and shadow that defines the painting’s formal elegance.
History & Provenance
The work titled Saint Barbara was created in 1520 by the Master of Becerril using oil paint on panel. It measures 145 cm in height and 65 cm in width and is classified as a religious painting. The artwork is part of the collection at the Museo del Prado, where it is housed and displayed.
The painting Saint Barbara by the Master of Becerril, dated to 1520, is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Executed in oil on panel, the work depicts the religious figure of Saint Barbara and measures 145 cm in height by 65 cm in width. The available records confirm its current location within the museum but do not provide a specific inventory or accession number. Furthermore, no details regarding the exhibition history of this specific panel are included in the provided documentation.
Context
Saint Barbara, painted circa 1520 by the Master of Becerril, exemplifies early 16th-century Spanish religious art through its devotional subject and formal composition. The work, housed in the Museo del Prado, reflects evolving artistic practices during the Spanish Renaissance, particularly in its use of oil paint on panel to convey narrative clarity and spiritual intensity characteristic of the period. Its enduring scholarly interest stems from its significance within the Master of Becerril's oeuvre and its role in illuminating devotional practices of the Iberian Peninsula.
Overview
Created around 1520, this oil painting portrays Saint Barbara, a figure from Christian hagiography. Executed by the anonymous Master of Becerril, the work is part of the collection at Madrid’s Museo del Prado. The composition centers on a solitary female saint positioned before a stone wall, with an urban landscape visible in the distance.
Subject & Meaning
The saint is shown holding a palm branch, a traditional symbol of martyrdom, and wears a modest white dress with a brown bodice, a white headscarf, and a cross‑bearing necklace. These attributes identify her as Barbara, whose legend includes confinement in a tower and eventual execution for her faith.
Artist & collection
Artist
This anonymous Spanish painter from the early 1500s made small religious panels with bold colors.
