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The vivid colour of her garments and the different shape of her niche give greater emphasis to the figure of St Barbara, who stands between the two old men, St Jerome and St Antony. She is holding her attribute, a tower, and in contrast to the two other saints is looking directly to us.
Because she was so beautiful, Barbara's pagan father locked her in a tower. She converted to Christianity, and against his wishes built in her tower a chapel, its three windows symbolizing of the Trinity. Enraged, her father had her beheaded. Here she is depicted standing triumphantly on the armor-clad corpse of her father, who has been killed by a bolt of lightning. His hands are hanging down over the cornice, where they are casting illusory shadows.
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