Saint Barbara

Jan van Eyck's Saint Barbara, dated 1437 and now in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, is one of the most debated works in art history—scholars disagree whether it is a finished grisaille painting or an unfinished underdrawing. The panel shows Saint Barbara seated before the massive tower of her martyrdom, rendered with extraordinary architectural detail. The tower construction scene in the background provides a remarkable record of medieval building practices.

The work's monochrome silverpoint-like drawing on a prepared white ground, with minimal color touches, demonstrates Van Eyck's supreme draftsmanship and raises questions about whether this exquisite state was the artist's intended final form.