Saint Barbara

1517

Pen and black ink, heightened with white on green prepared paper

161 × 123 mm

Praun-, Esterházy collection

Altdorfer made many of his drawings, like this Saint Barbara on dark prepared paper with pen in black ink, heightened with white creating powerful chiaroscuro effects. The female saint shown here lived in the third century. In order to discourage her suitors, she was shut in a tower by her father Dioscurus of Heliopolis. When she turned to Christianity, Dioscurus made all efforts to persuade his daughter to leave her new faith. After refusing to obey this order, Barbara was decapitated. Altdorfer depicted her stepping forward with one of her attributes in her hand, the chalice, surmounted by a wafer of the host because she was commonly invoked against sudden death by storm or lightening and thus against the danger of dying without the benefit of the last sacrament.