St. Barbara

Description: A full-figure, almost full, but slightly beveled at the back and hollowed-out depiction of a standing St. Barbara set on a console suspended on a pillar. A prominent console, decorated from the front with a massive volute cartouche, preceded from the bottom with a kind of suspended grooved “shell”. Cartouche in a white color of polished primer, decorated with leaves on the sides; in its center, an oval plaque with a golden inscription on a red background: “In honorem | S. BARBARAE | Virg. Mart.”. Above the cartouche, the upper part of the console is polygonal, profiled in the form of a cornice, and covered with brown marbling. On the upper surface of the console, there is an additional base for the figure in the form of a thick plate. The saint is shown in a lively movement, in a strong contrapposto, with the left leg bent at the knee and resting on the sphere and the right hip strongly lifted and extended to the side – the figure of the saint takes on an S-shaped shape; both feet of the saint are shod in sandals on bare feet. The head is directed 3/4 to the side, to the right (heraldically) side, and slightly tilted downwards; the face with full but delicate (although at the same time, more emphasized due to the distance of the figure from the viewer), idealized features of a young woman. On the hair, there is a strongly corrugated drapery tuck flowing down the fold at the right cheek. Arms bent at the elbows; the right hand, with a gesture full of exaltation, placed on the saint’s breast; the left one, in an arrangement full of almost dance grace, with the hand moved aside from the body, holds a white lily with a gilded stem; feet in sandals. Barbara dressed in long, decoratively arranged, and very folded (mainly in small folds) robes (the nature of the folds makes it difficult to read the course of the robes and their parts: visible, among others, a kind of corset of the saint, in this form probably referring to the ancient costume?). Next to the martyr’s right leg is a model of a tower with windows; on the wall on the right (heraldic) side there is a separately carved figure of an angel in flight with a chalice in its hand. The sculpture is in the white color of polished primer, with small golden elements: on a console with the edges of volute forms of a cartouche and some small leaves; on the robes of the saint with narrow borders; on the tower, among other profiles; within the figure of an angel with wings, drapery, and a chalice.

History: The figure is one of the nine sculptures of saints placed on the initiative of the Jesuits in 1710 on the consoles hung on the pillars of the nave. Each of the sculptures was funded by a different person – the execution of the figure of St. Barbara was founded by Fr. Löffler, provost and dean of Lubomierz.

Characteristics: To refer to the Catholic, medieval past of Świdnica, the Jesuits decided that each figure would represent the patron of one of the chapels located at the gates leading to the city. The statue of St. Barbara refers to the chapel of that saint, located at the Strzegom Gate. The chapel was mentioned already in the fourteenth century, but the present building was built in the years 1500-1513. St. Barbara, the patron saint of the chapel, is one of the most popular saints, although the historicity of her figure raises some doubts: the saint was supposed to have lived in Nicodemia in Asia Minor in the 3rd century CE, she was a virgin, adopted the Christian faith against the will of her father, and after unsuccessful attempts to force her to renounce her faith, her father reported it to the pagan authorities of the empire. As a result of this denunciation, she was imprisoned in a tower, where an angel with a chalice and a host appeared to her, and finally, she was beheaded with a sword around 305 CE. Although currently – due to historical doubts – she no longer belongs to the group of saints of the Catholic Church (although she may be venerated locally), she has retained her popularity. The attributes which are visible next to her figure in Świdnica (the tower and the angel with a chalice) are explained in the aforementioned circumstances of her martyrdom.