Ant. Mühl, Czech, late 19th century- Saint Philomena; oil on canvas, signed and dated 'ANT. MÜHL. N. PAKA. / 1891' (lower left),170 x 100 cm. Provenance: Property from a European Private Collection. Note: Saint Philomena (c.291-c.304) is said to have been tortured and decapitated by Emperor Diocletian (242/45-311/12) when she refused to marry the emperor, having taken a vow of chastity at an early age. She is typically represented with arrows and an anchor, referring to the torture she is believed to have suffered, a crown of flowers, and a sprig of lilies, gesturing towards her status as a virgin martyr.

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