2755 - Late Gothic sculptor from southern Germany (active in the second half of the 15th century)

Late Gothic sculptor from southern Germany (active in the second half of the 15th century) Saint Barbara Terracotta, painted and gilded. A nearly fully three-dimensional, hollowed-out hollowed-out statuette of the saint with her attributes, the martyr’s crown and chalice. The figure of the saint stands in contrapposto with a slight S-curve, wearing a floor-length cloak and a belted dress, her head with long, wavy hair tilted to her right side. The style of the garment, with its characteristic, angularly breaking, rhythmically repeating folds, suggests it was created in the second half of the 15th century, likely around 1480 in Swabia. As one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Saint Barbara is among the most revered saints, especially since she is also the patron saint of miners, and farmers pray to her for protection against sudden terrors such as lightning, thunder, and fire. Height: 45 cm. Provenance: Former private collection in Stuttgart. South German sculptor active in the second half of the 15th century, probably in Swabia. Painted and gilded terracotta sculpture of Saint Barbara.