Heilige Barbara met toren 1623 - 1660

Pieter de Bailliu created this engraving of Saint Barbara holding a tower. Consider how images of female saints were deployed in the 17th century to promote models of femininity and piety. Saint Barbara, as a figure of both aristocratic status and religious devotion, embodies the complex intersections of gender, class, and faith. During the Counter-Reformation, saints became symbols of the Catholic Church, especially in the face of Protestant challenges. The tower she holds symbolizes her imprisonment by her father for refusing to renounce Christianity. Yet, it also references her strength, with the tower acting as a testament to her unwavering faith and resistance against patriarchal and religious oppression. Saint Barbara’s story and its artistic representations invite us to reflect on the historical roles of women in religion and society, and how they navigated expectations and asserted their beliefs.