Depicted in this 19th c. retablo on tin is Santa Rita de Cascia--born Margherita Ferri Lotti-Mancini (1381–1457)--a window turned Augustinian nun canonized as the patroness of impossible causes and also known in many Catholic countries as patroness of abused wives and heartbroken women. (Rita apparently endured endured the physical and psychological abuse and infidelities of her nobleman husband Paolo Mancini for many years.) I love her for those associations, of course, and for her face, and for the skull she holds tight to her body in that graceful hand. And I especially love the half circle of light that illuminates the bible on the table to her left--which seems it could be product of a partial cleaning of the painting, but has just the right effect. Plus those red curtains with gold tassels and dramatic clouds around the top left perimeter.
14 1/8" x 10 1/8" and in overall good antique condition, with some surface scratching and a little scattered paint loss as evident. On heavy tin.
