17th Century Italian School, Santa Agnesse

ITALIAN SCHOOL 17TH CENTURY

ST. AGNES WITH LAMB AND FLOWER CROWN

Oil on canvas
67 x 56 cm / 26.4 x 22 inches

This 17th‑century Italian work depicts St. Agnes in a sober and meticulously composed manner. She is shown holding an agnus upon her lap—a central element of her iconography that signifies both her personal innocence and the spiritual purity for which she is revered. A crown adorns her head, symbolizing the triumph of her steadfast faith and the honor bestowed upon her as a martyr.

A well‐known passage from the Golden Legend states:

“At the tender age of twelve, St. Agnes shone with a beauty and purity that defied worldly corruption... In this resolute stance, she embraced martyrdom, her sacrifice a lasting testimony to divine chastity.”

According to ecclesiastical tradition, St. Agnes was a noble Roman who suffered martyrdom around 304 AD during the persecutions under Diocletian. The association with the agnus is not accidental; her name (Agnese) echoes the Latin word agnus, meaning “lamb,” reinforcing her image as an emblem of purity and self‐sacrifice. Additionally, she is frequently depicted with a sword—symbolic of her execution—and a palm branch, a traditional mark of martyrdom. The crown on her head is a clear sign of her victory over earthly temptations and her exaltation within the Church as a paragon of divine chastity.

During the 17th century, the subject of St. Agnes gained considerable popularity in Florentine painting. Artists of that period were particularly drawn to the juxtaposition of her youthful appearance with her resolute religiosity, an approach that resonated with contemporary tastes for both emotional intensity and piety. Consequently, the image of St. Agnes—complete with her agnus and crowned head—became a recurrent motif in Florentine workshops, reflecting the era’s high regard for unwavering faith and virtuous conduct.