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St Barbara

Author: Unknown artist
Created:second half of the 19th century
Material:canvas
Technique:oil
Dimensions:68 × 61 cm

St Barbara, a virgin martyr, lived in Asia Minor in the first century, and was one of the most popular saints in Lithuanian folk art; images of her were carved by religious carvers and painted by amateur painters. The veneration of St Barbara is based on her life and martyrdom: she refused to renounce Christianity, and was tortured and beheaded by her own father, who was then suddenly struck down by lightning. That is why it is believed that she can save people from lightning and from a sudden death. Because she was considered able to bring about a happy death, and to protect people from dying before they receive the Last Rites, her main attribute in art is a chalice with the Host, a symbol of the Blessed Sacrament. This is highlighted in folk art, and helps us to identify her. In her left hand she holds a sword, a symbol of her death, or a palm, a symbol of martyrdom, signifying her triumph over death. A tower with three windows recalls the story of her imprisonment by her father in a tower with two windows, in order to protect her from suitors. She ordered a third window to be cut, in honour of the Holy Trinity. Folk artists emphasised St Barbara’s noble descent, and portrayed her in splendid clothing: a regal cloak, a long dress, a beautiful tunic, and a crown.

Text author Skaidrė Urbonienė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album HEAVEN AND BEYOND (2016). Compiler Dalia Vasiliūnienė. Text authors Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė
Expositions: “Heaven and Beyond. Works of religious art from the collection of Rolandas Valiūnas and the law firm Valiunas Ellex“, 31 May–24 September 2016, Church Heritage Museum, Vilnius (curators Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė)