Saint Agnes
Unknown Artist
early 20th century (original dated 6th century)
Medium
Tesserae, glass in wooden frame
Dimensions
Overall: 101 1/8 x 40 x 1 1/2 in. (256.8 x 101.6 x 3.8 cm) a-head and upper torso: 51 1/2 x 40 x 1 1/2 in. (130.8 x 101.6 x 3.8 cm) b-lower section: 49 3/4 x 40 x 1 1/2 in. (126.4 x 101.6 x 3.8 cm)
Classification
Reproductions-Mosaics
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Johnston Fund, 1924
Accession Number
24.144.5a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking mosaic reproduction portrays Saint Agnes, a revered early Christian martyr symbolizing purity and faith, rendered in the grand tradition of Byzantine art. Dating to the early 20th century, it faithfully recreates a 6th-century original, capturing the saint's serene visage and upper body in a monumental scale—over eight feet tall when assembled. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art department, this piece evokes the opulent mosaics that once adorned Byzantine churches, such as those in Ravenna or Constantinople, where saints served as spiritual guardians for wors...