Saint Agnes
Master of Calamarca, Saint Agnes, 1700/1725, oil on canvas, Bequest of Elvin A. Duerst, public domain, 2010.25.18
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Saint Agnes
- Artist
- Date
1700/1725
- Period
Spanish Colonial
- Medium
oil on canvas
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
63 1/2 in x 43 1/2 in
- Collection Area
European Art
- Category
Spanish Colonial Art
Paintings
- Object Type
painting
- Culture
Bolivian
- Credit Line
Bequest of Elvin A. Duerst
- Accession Number
2010.25.18
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
Andean artists took inspiration from the European tradition of honoring female saints by showing them in beautiful gowns. The unidentified painter of this work is known for a series of archangels decorating the nave of the church in Calamarca, a village in the Altiplano near La Paz. His style is typified by rich fabrics, repetitive patterns, and large capes that billow around the figure. He was greatly indebted to Leonardo Flores, his predecessor in La Paz, whose own Saint Agnes is in the Museum's collection (2010.25.12 - see Related Artworks).
The saint was a noble Roman, a young virgin martyred for her Christian faith during Diocletian's persecutions. She holds a lamb, her attribute, and a palm frond, the Christian symbol of martyrdom. As a virgin martyr, she receives a crown of roses, the flower of the Virgin Mary. Blossoms were also used to adorn hair in the Andes.
- Exhibitions
2015 Art from the Andes: Spanish Colonial Paintings from the Elvin A. Duerst Bequest Portland Art Museum
