Santa Barbara

Object Details

Artist

Unidentified (Puerto Rican)

Luce Center Label

Puerto Ricans depicted religious subjects for homes and churches, although painted images were less common than carved wooden saints. This small panel was probably created as one of several for the front of a pulpit or altarpiece in a church or a private chapel. Saint Barbara is especially revered in Puerto Rico, because she is believed to protect against hurricanes, which are an annual threat to the island. She is represented here with her symbols: a crown, a palm of martyrs, and the tower with three windows where she was incarcerated before being beheaded at her father’s order.

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection

ca. 1680-1690

Object number

1996.91.9

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

oil on wood panel

Dimensions

10 7/8 x 8 1/4 in. (27.6 x 21.0 cm.)

See more items in

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department

Painting and Sculpture

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Object\foliage\palm

Architecture Exterior\civic\tower

Religion\saint\St. Barbara

Religion\martyr

Record ID

saam_1996.91.9

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk78201dcdd-702a-470b-b9f2-2457f008170f