Barbara

About this artwork

walnut with polychromy and remnants of gilding

Art Historical Context

**Barbara** by the Master of Kouwater, crafted around 1470, is a walnut wood sculpture standing nearly life-sized at 92 cm tall. anonymous Late Gothic artist, named after a devotional piece from the Koudewater monastery in the Netherlands, specialized in deeply expressive religious figures from the southern Low Countries. Likely depicting Saint Barbara, the patroness of miners and those facing sudden death, the statue captures her serene piety with finely carved drapery and delicate features, evoking quiet devotion. The medium—walnut wood enhanced with polychromy (vibrant paints) and traces o...