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Saint Dorothea
(Baroque Europe )
The legendary early Christian martyr Saint Dorothea was the daughter of a Roman senator and was executed because of her faith during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. On the way to her decapitation, the pagan lawyer Theophilus mockingly asked her to send him fruits from Paradise. Before her death, an angel appeared to her with a basket of flowers and fruits. Saint Dorothea is the patron saint of gardeners.
Her elegant, long neck and the sword she is holding allude to her martyrdom. The light color scheme, the emphasis on the softness of the pinkish skin, and the flowers all charm the eye in a way that reflects the influence of the rococo style in France.
For more information on this painting, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 392, p. 507.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 757, as Joan of Arc by François Boucher]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 7/1/1948 | Treatment | coated; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced |
| 10/29/1964 | Treatment | coated; filled; inpainted; lined; loss compensation; repaired; surface cleaned; varnish removed or reduced; x-ray |
Geographies
Italy, Rome (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H: 25 5/8 x W: 19 5/8 in. (65.1 x 49.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.402