ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara

ca. 1510
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 607
According to legend, Saint Barbara was executed by her pagan father, Dioscorus, when she refused to recant her Christian faith. Luxuriously dressed, she seems here to calmly accept her fate as she kneels before Dioscorus, who raises his sword to behead her. The four sinister-looking witnesses may be the Roman authorities who had tortured her in an attempt to persuade her to sacrifice to pagan gods, and who later sentenced her to death. The coat of arms indicates that Cranach painted this panel for a member of the Rem family, who were wealthy merchants in Augsburg.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara
  • Artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, Kronach 1472–1553 Weimar)
  • Date: ca. 1510
  • Medium: Oil on linden
  • Dimensions: Overall 60 3/8 x 54 1/4 in. (153.4 x 137.8 cm); painted surface 59 3/8 x 53 1/8 in. (150.8 x 134.9 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1957
  • Object Number: 57.22
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

Audio

Cover Image for 5148. The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara

5148. The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Standing Woman, Lucas Cranach the Elder German, Pen and ink
Standing Woman
Lucas Cranach the Elder
ca. 1505–10
A Silver Statuette of the Risen Christ, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries, Lucas Cranach the Elder German, Woodcut; first state of two (Hollstein)
A Silver Statuette of the Risen Christ, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Bust of St. Paul, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries, Lucas Cranach the Elder German, Woodcut
Bust of St. Paul, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Martin Luther, Bust to the Left, Lucas Cranach the Elder German, Woodcut
Martin Luther, Bust to the Left
Lucas Cranach the Elder
1551
Sybilla of Cleves, Wife of John Frederic of Saxony, Lucas Cranach the Elder German, Woodcut
Sybilla of Cleves, Wife of John Frederic of Saxony
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.