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| Keywords: Master of the Joseph Sequence - The Martyrdom of St Barbara - Walters 37778.jpg The main source for the life of St Barbara is the Golden Legend Legenda Aurea a 14th-century compilation of stories associated with the feast days of the Church calendar In the early 4th century at a time of persecution of the Christians Barbara a beautiful virgin was said to have been hidden away in a tower by her pagan father in order to keep away suitors Without his knowledge she converted to Christianity She then had a third window added to her tower as a sign of her belief in the Trinity Her father learned of her conversion and chopped off her head Soon after he was killed by lightning Barbara became the patron saint of those in danger of sudden death such as soldiers and firefighters This panel which depicts a key moment in the legend of St Barbara was the wing of an altarpiece dedicated to the saint To make the story persuasive the artist introduced historical as well as contemporary details The tower was made to look Roman to contemporary viewers who had never seen Roman architecture by introducing windows characteristic of Romanesque architecture Barbara's elegant attire and loose hairstyle would both have been recognizable to contemporaries as those of an unwed maiden That her long hair is swept out of the way to bare her neck for execution is also a poignant reminder of her vulnerability The artist cannot be identified by name but the style featuring large active figures close to the picture surface is that of a series of paintings depicting the story of Joseph now in museums in Germany between 1470 1500 Late Medieval oil wood cm 99 8 37 5 5 45 ; framed cm 115 2 52 3 4 2 accession number 37 778 1564 Don Marcello Massarenti Collection Rome Henry Walters city Baltimore Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection 1902 place of origin Brussels Belgium Walters Art Museum license 2D Renaissance paintings in the Walters Art Museum Master of the Joseph Sequence Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review Paintings of Saint Barbara Martyrdom of Saint Barbara 15th-century religious paintings in the United States 15th-century paintings of Christian saints | ||||
