Saint Barbara (Santa Barbara)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Painted in New Mexico, this small religious scene, or retablo, was meant for private devotion in a chapel or home. Retablos typically depict saints, angels, or the Virgin Mary. The New Mexican painters who specialized in these subjects were called santeros . To develop their iconographies, santeros looked to a variety of printed materials, including woodcuts, pamphlets, and illustrated Bibles. This retablo depicts Saint Barbara, who holds a monstrance in her right hand. The saint was traditionally was shown with a crown but instead the artist depicts dramatic plumes falling from her head.

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