TINTORETTO
(b. 1518, Venezia, d. 1594, Venezia)

The Miracle of St Agnes (detail)

c. 1577
Oil on canvas
Madonna dell'Orto, Venice

In his depiction of St Agnes, Tintoretto follows the text of the legend literally: as shown here, when the girl was dragged away to the brothel the hair on her head miraculously grew to cover her naked body, and an angel brought Agnes a radiant heavenly garment to protect her from the attacks of Licinius and his friends.