St. Anne Miniature Altarpiece: Detail, St. Barbara

Swabia, 1490
The Cloisters, New York City

The chalice and host in St. Barbara's right hand were once an attribute of hers. In Caxton her dying prayer is that Christ will "not remember" the sins of those who die remembering her name and her story. This notion was condemned by Molanus in the late 16th century because it seemed to promise salvation for unrepentant sinners (De Historia, III, 387). Following this stricture the chalice went out of favor in images of St. Barbara.

In the miniature altarpiece, Barbara looks to her right toward the central statuette of St. Anne. Her uncovered blond hair is traditional for images of virgin martyrs.

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Photographed at the Cloisters by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.