Name/Title
Saint BarbaraEntry/Object ID
2005.02.106Description
Mixed oil and tempera on flat wooden panel within glass-fronted wooden kiot that has gilded plaster frame with floral and vine pattern. The image itself is bordered in floral motifs in pink, blue, red, and turquois. In the center stands a woman with long brown hair and a crown on turquois halo. She wears a green tunic with gold embroidery over a white gown. A pink cloak sits over one shoulder and she holds a white scroll. A sword lays at her feet amidst a mountainous background.Type of Painting
PanelCollection
Betsy Scheuring Icon CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2005.02Source or Donor
Betsy ScheuringAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of Betsy ScheuringDimensions
Height
29-1/2 inWidth
12 inExhibition
Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)Interpretative Labels
Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
legend as a pious young girl who was imprisoned in a tower by her pagan father to keep her away from suitors. He objected to her adoption of Christianity and killed her for disobedience, after which he was struck and killed by lightning. St. Barbara’s relics are preserved in Kiev. The chalice she is holding and the sword at her feet are symbols of the last sacrament and her martyrdom. She wears the crown and rich vestments of a princess. Above her head in the decorative border is an image of the face of Jesus on the mandylion (“little handkerchief”), meaning that the image was not made by human hands. This originated in the legend of the miraculous appearance of the image of Jesus on a piece of cloth with which he wiped his face (cf. 2005.02.083). This image was brought to Constantinople in 944, where many icons were made from it. The intricately carved gilt plaster in the kiot features a white dove emanating rays of light that represent the Holy Spirit.