Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Parmigianino died in 1540; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1610.
In context
Saint Barbara — Parmigianino
The original measures 48 × 39 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 37 at death.
Painted when the artist was 19. The artist lived to 37. 2 of the 50 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of Parmigianino (1503–1540) ▲ this work, 1522 every dated painting, decade by decade
First works: up to 1524 Main working years: 1524–1534 Late works: from 1534
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/parmigianino-saint-barbara-8XYPTA-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Black #0f110f
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 85.5% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 68 works by this artist, of which 32 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 16 of them, with 2.4% of that attention (200 visits). The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in Parma, Italy
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, known to history as Parmigianino – “the little one from Parma” – emerged during the High Renaissance, yet swiftly became a defining figure of the burgeoning Mannerist style. Born in Parma on January 11, 1503, his early life was marked by familial loss; his father, Filippo Mazzola, died when Girolamo was just two years old. Raised by his uncles, Michele and Pier Ilario, both modestly skilled artists themselves, the young Parmigianino received his initial artistic training within this familial circle. This foundation, however, proved merely a springboard for an exceptional talent that would soon eclipse even his mentors. By the astonishing age of eighteen, he had already completed the Bardi Altarpiece, a work demonstrating a maturity and sophistication far beyond his years, signaling the arrival of a truly remarkable artist.
Parmigianino’s artistic journey led him to Florence around 1524, where he absorbed the influence of masters like Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, though he quickly began to forge his own distinct path. He presented Pope Clement VII with three paintings, including a striking self-portrait in a convex mirror – a testament to his technical skill and burgeoning self-awareness. This act secured commissions in Rome, but the city’s artistic landscape was soon disrupted by the tumultuous Sack of 1527. Forced to flee, Parmigianino sought refuge in Bologna, where he painted one of his most celebrated works, the Holy Family. It was during this period that his signature style truly crystallized: elongated forms, graceful poses, and a refined sensuality became hallmarks of his art. He wasn’t merely depicting reality; he was reimagining it through a lens of elegance and idealized beauty. This departure from the High Renaissance's emphasis on naturalism marked him as a key innovator of Mannerism, an artistic movement characterized by its artificiality, sophistication, and deliberate distortion of classical forms.
Parmigianino’s legacy rests upon a relatively small but profoundly influential body of work. The Madonna with the Long Neck (1534) remains perhaps his most iconic creation. Its unsettling yet captivating composition, featuring figures with elongated necks and limbs, challenges conventional notions of beauty and proportion. This deliberate distortion isn't simply stylistic; it conveys a sense of spiritual yearning and otherworldly grace. Similarly, Vision of Saint Jerome (1527), completed during his time in Rome, showcases his mastery of anatomy and perspective, while simultaneously embracing the Mannerist penchant for dramatic compositions and emotional intensity. Beyond these celebrated paintings, Parmigianino’s drawings reveal an extraordinary level of skill and sensitivity. His studies of figures, drapery, and architectural elements demonstrate a meticulous attention to detail and a profound understanding of form. Even his lesser-known works, such as Bow-Carving Amor, display the same refined sensibility and technical virtuosity that define his oeuvre.
Tragically, Parmigianino's promising career was cut short by his untimely death in Casalmaggiore in 1540 at the age of thirty-seven. The circumstances surrounding his demise remain somewhat mysterious; some accounts suggest he succumbed to a fever, while others hint at complications from a fall. Despite his brief life, Parmigianino left an indelible mark on Italian Renaissance art. He stands as one of the most important representatives of Mannerism, influencing generations of artists with his elegant style and innovative approach to form and composition. His work continues to captivate viewers today, offering a glimpse into a world where beauty is not merely observed but actively created – a testament to the enduring power of artistic vision. The frescoes he left unfinished in Parma and Fontanellato serve as poignant reminders of what might have been, yet even in their incomplete state, they reveal the brilliance of a master whose legacy continues to resonate through the centuries.
originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/parmigianino-saint-barbara-8XYPTA-en/
Look closely
Saint Barbara — Parmigianino
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
The color that stands out most in "Saint Barbara" is black (#0f110f). The dominant color is useful when matching an artwork to an interior.
The creation of "Saint Barbara" by Parmigianino is dated 1522.
The image of "Saint Barbara" by Parmigianino can be downloaded from the artwork's Download page: a high-resolution digital image download.