429 - Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia

Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia 18th century, carved hardwood, polychromed and partly gilded, portrait of Elizabeth of Thuringia as a standing figure in a long, flowing robe, carrying a basket of flowers and a loaf of bread, Elisabeth grew up at Wartburg Castle and was known for her charity; according to legend, her husband surprised her in the depths of winter and asked what she was carrying that was so heavy beneath her cloak; she replied, ‘They are roses.’ In the middle of winter, when Ludwig opened her cloak, roses were indeed blooming in the basket; as a result of her willingness to help the poor - the fruit of her good deeds - roses had sprung up in the midst of a winter full of hardship. Loss of material, significant signs of age; height approx. 60 cm. Provenance: Otto Blokesch Collection, Bamberg, Part 1.