Wooden High Relief “saint Barbara,” Southern France, 16th–17th Century

High-relief panel depicting ‘Saint Barbara’
Southern France, 16th/17th century

Polychrome carved wood with traces of gilding
64 x 32 cm.
(good condition, with small losses and cracks, scattered retouching)

This wooden high relief, created between the 16th and 17th centuries, depicts Saint Barbara, elegantly dressed in a red gown covered by a cloak with gold trim and fastened at the neck by a jeweled choker adorned with pearls—the same pearls found in her hair, where they hold it in place.
The saint, portrayed full-length in a solemn pose, displays her iconographic attributes: in her left hand she holds the palm of martyrdom, then the sword, the weapon with which she was killed, and of course the tower where she was imprisoned, painted on the right, the most common and significant symbol.
The quality of the carving is very good, particularly in the drapery of the robe, which falls richly over the figure, enhancing her regal bearing and lending the work great value and character.
As for the provenance and style of the carving, we can place this high relief within the sculptural tradition of northern France, where Spanish influences are evident, featuring a style that, though still archaic, is imbued with expressive power and inspired by the principles of Italian Renaissance Mannerism.
It should be noted that the 16th century saw a dense network of cultural exchanges between France, Italy, and Spain; in particular, Italian artists arrived in France, summoned by aristocratic patrons due to the prestige by then recognized in Renaissance art, especially Tuscan, but Spanish artists also came.
In particular, the stylistic models of the work refer to the sculpture that developed in the region stretching from southern France to the Pyrenees and the Catalan region, an area where many workshops of master sculptors were active.
The excellent state of preservation of the wooden support, with some missing sections and minor loss of paint, allows one to fully appreciate its quality, with traces of polychromy and gilding still visible.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The pair of works is sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
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