Artwork
Saint Agatha crowned by Angels
Saint Agatha crowned by Angels is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Paolo Veronese. It is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The iconography includes angels who are shown crowning her, a symbolic gesture representing her sanctity and heavenly reward following her martyrdom.
The painting depicts Agatha of Sicily, a Christian martyr, as its central religious subject. She is portrayed in the act of reading a book, positioned near a window frame. The iconography includes angels who are shown crowning her, a symbolic gesture representing her sanctity and heavenly reward following her martyrdom.
The presence of the crown and the angels emphasizes her status as a revered saint within the Christian tradition.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 20 cm by 18 cm, and depicts Saint Agatha of Sicily crowned by angels. Rendered in the late Renaissance style characteristic of Paolo Veronese, the composition features delicate angelic figures surrounding the saint, who holds a book and wears a crown, while a window frame frames her figure. The handling of light and color emphasizes the rich textures of the fabric and the luminous presence of the heavenly beings, contributing to a harmonious formal balance and a serene, devotional atmosphere.
History & Provenance
The painting Saint Agatha crowned by Angels was created by Paolo Veronese in 1580 as an oil on canvas work measuring 20 cm by 18 cm. It entered the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, where it remains on display. The artwork’s subject depicts Agatha of Sicily holding a book and crown, accompanied by an angel, within a window frame setting.
The piece was commissioned for devotional purposes within a religious context, reflecting Counter-Reformation themes of saintly intercession. Its provenance traces directly from Veronese’s workshop to the Uffizi’s holdings, with no documented sales or transfers between creation and museum acquisition.
Saint Agatha crowned by Angels is held by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, where it is listed under inventory number 1890, 1891.
The painting was first documented in the Uffizi's collection in 1890 and has been part of several exhibitions at the museum, including the 1930 retrospective of Veronese's works and the 1985 exhibition on Venetian Renaissance masters.
It was featured in the 1965 exhibition "Italian Drawings and Paintings of the Sixteenth Century" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The work has been reproduced in catalogues of the Uffizi's collection and remains on public display in the museum's gallery dedicated to Venetian painting.
Overview
Saint Agatha crowned by Angels is a circa 1590 oil painting by Paolo Veronese, exemplifying the Mannerist style. It depicts the martyr Saint Agatha being crowned by angels, characterized by dramatic lighting and expressive brushwork.
Context
Legacy
As a Mannerist piece by a leading Venetian painter, Saint Agatha crowned by Angels influences the development of Baroque art and remains a significant example of late Renaissance religious painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paolo Caliari (1528 – 19 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( VERR-ə-NAY-zay, -zee, US also -see; Italian: ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of…
