Spanish or Italian school of the 18th century.
"Saint Agnes".
Carved and polychrome wood.
The base is a reliquary.
Measurements: 32 x 13 x 10 cm; 13 x 16 x 10 cm (base).
In this work, Saint Agnes is represented as a young woman, crowned and holding a lamb in her arms, her main iconographic attribute, symbol of her purity. The carving is notable for the delicacy of the drapery, which in the lower area shows great classical inspiration, as it is largely reminiscent of the wet drapery technique. The movement of the drapery, especially on the arm, indicates the baroque taste for dynamism and theatricality. One of the most characteristic features of this work is the pedestal, as it was not only designed to support the sculpture, but also to hold a religious relic, originally associated with the saint.
The name of Saint Agnes was taken from the Greek adjective "agné", meaning pure, chaste. The Romans, on the other hand, linked it with the Latin noun "agnus" (lamb), although there is no etymological connection. The legend of the saint derives from this popular etymology. It has been thought that such a name could be a symbol (virgo casta) rather than a real person, especially since the historical existence of St. Agnes is doubtful. At first there were two different traditions referring to two martyrs of the same name, which were later confused. According to St. Ambrose and St. Damasus, Agnes was a girl martyred at the age of twelve and beheaded. Her martyrdom would have occurred around 305, during the persecution of Diocletian. The Greek tradition, which is different, concerns an adult virgin. According to Basil's Menologion, Agnes would have refused to offer sacrifices to the gods. The two traditions, Latin and Greek, soon merged and were enriched with new legendary features, such as the miracle of the hair and the mantle, which was popularised by the Golden Legend. When the son of a prefect fell in love with her, 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, left her to choose between making a sacrifice to the gods or dishonour. Taken naked to a brothel, her hair instantly grew long and covered her body. As if that hair was not enough, an angel wrapped her in a white cloak. She is the first saint to be endowed with an attribute (6th century). Her main iconographic symbol is the white lamb, symbol of her purity. The lamb is not only an allusion to her name. It is also a reminder of the vision of her parents, who, eight days after her death, reportedly saw their daughter appear with a lamb at her right hand. She is also recognisable by the burning bonfire whose flames move away without even touching her, by the sword, the instrument of torture, and by the palm of martyrdom.