Saint Barbara holding palm leaves with a sword and flowers at her feet, two putti overhead holding a laurel
ca. 1625–59
Medium
Etching and engraving; first state of two
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 13 7/16 × 9 1/2 in. (34.2 × 24.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.7153
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite print depicts Saint Barbara, a revered Christian martyr from the early 4th century, gracefully with palm fronds—symbols of her martyrdom—in hand, a sword at her side referencing her beheading by her father, and flowers blooming her feet as emblems of purity and divine favor. Above her, two playful putti (cherubic angels) unfurl a laurel wreath evoking triumph and sanctity. Created around 1625–59, it captures the dramatic intensity of the Baroque era, a time when the Catholic Church used vivid religious imagery to inspire devotion during the Counter-Reformation. The work is an e...
About the Artist
Schelte Adams à Bolswert|Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish|Dutch) · 1577 |1581 –1640 |1659
Flemish, Siegen 1577–1640 Antwerp|Dutch, Bolsward 1581–1659 Antwerp