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| Title | St Agatha in Prison | |
| Alternative Title | Reclining Woman; St Agnes; Sant'Agata in Carcere; The Dying Whore | |
| Collection | University of Leeds Art Collection | |
| Artist | Attributed to school of Cavallino, Bernardo (Italian painter, born 1616 or 1622, died 1654 or 1656) Attributed to Guarino, Francesco (Italian painter, 1611-1654) Attributed to Italian (Neapolitan) School Previously attributed to Barbalonga Alberti, Antonio (Italian painter, 1600-1649) Previously attributed to Ricci, Sebastiano (Italian painter and draftsman, 1659-1734) Previously attributed to Stanzione, Massimo (Italian painter, 1585-1656) Previously attributed to Vaccaro, Andrea (Italian painter, 1604-1670) |
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| Date Earliest | possibly 1630 | |
| Date Latest | possibly 1680 | |
| Description | St Agatha is one of the most venerated virgin martyrs from early Christianity. She spurned the love of a Roman senator in order to preserve her virginity and faith. The painting shows her suffering from the wounds inflicted by his torture and her visionary state when she was miraculously healed by St Peter. It has been attributed to various artists working in Naples in the mid-seventeenth century. Images of women visionaries were very popular at this time partly because they expressed the ability of even the most vulnerable of believers to receive visions of the true faith. | |
| Current Accession Number | LEEUA1923.28 | |
| Former Accession Number | P28/1923 | |
| Subject | religion (St Agatha); figure | |
| Measurements | 91.4 x 121.9 cm cm (estimate) | |
| Material | oil on canvas | |
| Acquisition Details | Given by Michael Sadler 1923. | |
| Provenance | Hon. Ed. Wood, Temple Newsam, Leeds before 1922; Temple Newsam Sale 26 July - 2 Aug 1922, lot 1223; purchased by Mr Hardy, 2 Aug 1922; purchased by Michael Sadler, 4 Oct 1922. | |
| Principal Exhibitions | An exhibition of seventeenth to nineteenth century paintings and drawings from the University of Leeds Collection, University Gallery Leeds, 1985, cat. no. 1; Michael Sadler, University Gallery Leeds, and Barr Convent Museum, York, 1989, cat. no. 1. | |
| Publications | Robinson, Fisher and Harding, A Catalogue of the Contents of the Mansion, London, 1922, p. 52, lot 1223, as Figure Subject, Reclining Female; Moir, A., Caravaggio and his Copyists, New York, 1976, p. 122, n. 180, ill. fig. 16, as by Cavallino school; Hughes, A., An exhibition of seventeenth to nineteenth century paintings and drawings from the University of Leeds Collection, Leeds, 1985, cat. no. 1, ill., as by Neapolitan School §within the general orbit of Cavallino§; Michael Sadler, Leeds, 1989, cat. no. 1, p. 40, ill.; Willette, T. and S. Schütze, Massimo Stanzione, Naples, 1992, cat. no. C14, p. 249, ill. no. 307, p. 407, as Sant'Agata in Carcere by Neapolitan school; Oil Paintings in the University of Leeds Art Collection and Gallery: The complete illustrated catalogue, Leeds, 2004, p. 31, ill.; Oil Paintings in Public Ownership: West Yorkshire: Leeds, London, 2004, p. 249, ill. | |
| Notes | Reverse all on stretcher uc '13' in black chalk; cl typed label 'Michael Sadlier . . pe . . Italian picture 18th c ... ? (see note) of Saint (Temple) Ce a ?'; c handwritten label with University of Leeds stamp 'This picture was bought from Mr. Hardy on October 4th 1922, who aquired it at the sale of part of the Hon. Ed. Wood's furniture, etc., at Temple Newsam in August 1922; cr handwritten label 'The property of M.A. & M.E. Sadler, Heading Lane'; cr pencil 'Gledhow Hall'; cr signature '[DH?] J Dawson 1942; ll inscribed 'Delivered to Presid. HR fal [...] July 1944 [...] Committee (G/J) W. Peaker, R. High, D. H. Miller, J. Ormerod, C. M. Hunt, [S. R. Last?]; c inscribed 'House Committee 1948-9 signatures of J. E. Williams (President), [Colin Firth?] (Vice President); H. G. Smith (Secretary); C. Mace (Treasurer); C. Williams (Ent. Sec); G. Ingham (Sports Sec); J. I Currie (Librarian); Peter J. Brewer (Canteen Sec); Gilbert Gray (Launderer); G. Norman Lees (Union Rep); cr inscribed 'President D. H. Miller 1945?6, J. A Brackenwood, E. A. Hunt; [S. R. Last?]; D. Burrell, P. C. Todd, J. P. Smith, D. G. [MacLunly or MacLesley?], President P. Smith 1946-1947 D. Cameron, D. S. MacLusley, Colin Firth, J. G. Parr, S. J. Collier'. The painting was hung for many years in the room of the President of the House Committee, Devonshire Hall, where it acquired the nickname The Dying Whore. It is referred to as St Agnes in early correspondence. Attributed to Sebastiano Ricci in 1923. Attributed to Neapolitan School around 1966. Similar work in the Prado, no. 467, was catologued as Antonio Ricci and was reattributed to Antonio Barbalonga or Andrea Vaccaro, hence attribution to Barbalonga made for Leeds painting in 1962 by Quentin Bell. The Prado attribution has been debated however. Alfred Moir believed the Prado painting to be a replica. Attributed to Finsonius by Anthony Blunt, 1967, rejected by Moir. Attributed to Massimo Stanzione by Pierluigi Leone de Castris, Museo di Capodimonte, Naples, rejected by Moir and Willette and Schütze. Attributed to Andrew Vaccaro by Professor Noach, 1967, supported by Ann Percy, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1986, rejected by Moir. Attributed to School of Cavallino by Alfred Moir, 1967, with agreement by Anthony Hughes and Arnauld Brejon, letter, around 1984. Brejon also suggested Francesco Guarino. |
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| Rights Owner | University of Leeds | |
| Author | Dr Phillippa Plock | |