Artwork
Saint Elisabeth of Hungary
Saint Elisabeth of Hungary is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Unknown. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
About this work
Overview
The work is an oil painting portraying a woman in a long dark‑green gown and a white head covering, crowned, holding a basket of flowers in her left hand and a single blossom in her right. She stands before a brown wall, with a tree branch suggested at the top of the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The attire and crown identify the figure as a queen or saint, commonly associated with Saint Elisabeth of Hungary. The floral elements—both the basket and the solitary flower—have traditionally been linked to piety, devotion, and the saint’s charitable reputation.
Technique & Style
The artist employs chiaroscuro, using strong contrasts of light and shadow to model the figure’s face and hands, creating a sense of three‑dimensionality. This lighting draws the eye to the central portrait while giving depth to the muted background.
History & Provenance
The painting is titled Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, but no further details about its creation date, artist, or ownership history are provided in the source material.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
