Saint Barbara by Robert Campin (Interpretation and Analysis)

Saint Barbara
Source: Museo del Prado

The art of the Northern Renaissance holds a special place in my heart. The Northern Renaissance (a term I’m using pretty loosely here) refers to an artistic movement in northern Europe that occurred at roughly the same time as the Italian Renaissance. Art of the Northern Renaissance is characterized by increased attention to the accurate portrayal of three dimensional space and greater realism in the depiction of the human form. However, art of the Northern Renaissance lacks the grandiose style of its Italian counterparts; instead, northern artists focused on more down-to-Earth scenes of everyday life and religious subjects.

Robert Campin is one such artist. Although he is primarily a painter of religious scenes, Campin’s art is very much grounded in everyday life. His painting of Saint Barbara—one third of a lost triptych—is a good example of his style. Here we see the saint—not yet crowned by a golden halo—reading a book in front of a fire, just like any ordinary young woman of means. As the Prado Museum notes, “the key to her identity lies outside the window that opens onto a landscape with a tower, her customary attribute.”

Otherwise, this image of the saint could pass for a contemporary domestic scene, albeit one set in a very wealthy household. The saint’s furniture is elaborately carved, and her clothes appear to be of the highest quality. An ornate cross above the fireplace, a gleaming pitcher, and a blue iris in a vase complete the image of luxurious comfort. Although Saint Barbara is a religious figure, she appears very human here, living in a human world.

There is a dual purpose to this approach. On one level, humanizing the saint allows ordinary people to identify with her, hopefully engendering more sincere religious devotion. However, on another level, the painting represents the human-centered worldview that emerged during the Renaissance; this painting represents a desire to make the spiritual world fit the confines of human experience, not the other way around.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.