Italian school (XVII) - Sant'Agnese

Oil on canvas. Relined
Framed, circa 1800.
Dimensions: 92 x 76 cm; 108 x 92 cm (with frame).
A devotional image framed within the Italian school, with a sober and perfectly balanced composition and a monumentally sculptural figure with an idealized face and a sweet, mystical expression. The light reflects an understanding of contemporary tenebrism: a focused light entering the painting from the upper left corner and falling directly on the main areas of the image, while the rest is wrapped in a shaded, nuanced half-light, contributing to the construction of volumes and spaces at the same time. It depicts Saint Agnes, half-length, lovingly holding a lamb.

The name Saint Agnes derives from the Greek adjective "agné," meaning pure, chaste. On the other hand, the Romans connected it to the Latin noun "agnus" (lamb), though there is no etymological connection. The saint's legend stems from this popular etymology. It was believed that such a name could be a symbol (virgo casta) rather than a real person, especially since the historical existence of Saint Agnes is doubtful. Initially, two distinct traditions referred to two martyrs with the same name, which later became confused. According to Ambrose and Damasus, Agnes was a girl martyred at twelve years old, beheaded. Her martyrdom would have occurred around 305, during Diocletian's persecution. The different Greek tradition concerns an adult virgin. According to Basil’s Menologion, Agnes refused to offer sacrifices to the gods. The two traditions, Latin and Greek, soon merged and were enriched with new legendary elements, such as the miracle of hair and mantle, popularized by the Golden Legend. The son of a prefect fell in love with her, but Agnes rejected him and the suitor fell ill with grief. Her father, the prefect, summoned her to court and, unable to force her to marry his son, set before her the choice between offering sacrifices to the gods and dishonor. Brought forth naked to a brothel, her hair grew instantly, covering her body. As if that were not enough, an angel wrapped her in a white mantle. She is the first saint to receive an attribute (6th century). Her principal iconographic symbol is the white lamb, symbol of her purity. The lamb is not only a reference to her name, but also recalls the vision seen by her parents, who, eight days after her death, would see their daughter appear with a lamb to her right. She is also recognizable by the glowing bonfire whose flames move away without even touching her, by the sword, instrument of torture, and by the palm of martyrdom.