Jan van Eyck: Saint Barbara (1437)

(Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium)

A drawing made by the Flemish artist Jan van Eyck (1390 – 1441). Saint Barbara was an early Christian Greek saint and martyr. According to the legend Barbara was imprisoned in a tower by her pagan father, to preserve her from the outside world, especially from suitors he did not approve of. While there in the tower, she converted to Christianity, enraging her father and leading to her martyrdom. It it not known if this piece was study for a planned painting, an unfinished underdrawing or a completed work in of itself. the saint herself sits on the ground while reading a book and holding a palm branch. In the background a large tower is still in the process of being built, with many workmen visible on the ground carry stone and on various parts of the tower. Drawing from 1437.