Saint Dorothy

Unknown

about 1510–1520

Pot-metal and colorless glass, vitreous paint, and silver stain; lead came, Glass

J. Paul Getty Museum

A stained glass window depicts a female figure holding a basket of flowers and a staff. The figure is adorned with a halo and wears a red cloak over a blue garment and green skirt. Decorative architectural elements frame the scene. Dorothy is believed to have been a young Roman woman who was persecuted for her Christian faith. Calm approaching execution, Dorothy suggested that she was on her way to a better place. Mocked for her belief, a young student asked that she send him roses and apples from this paradise. Miraculously, he received such a gift during the winter after her death. Here the saint is shown holding a martyr’s palm and a basket of flowers, her attribute. She stands before a cloth of honor with gold fleur-de-lis, all under an arch decorated with putti holding dragons by the tail. Michael, Michael. Images in Light: Stained Glass, 1200-1550 (Londo