Saint Agnes

Andrea da Firenze, Saint Agnes, c. 1365, tempera and gold leaf on wood, 86.2 x 28.9 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Agatha was a young girl in the 4th century in Rome.  She refused to sacrifice to the gods and was punished bybeing brought unde to a brothel.  However, her hair miraculously grew to cover her whole body, and an angel came to protect her.  She was also thrown into a fire without being harmed.  Eventually she was killed when her throat was slit.

While a lamb is her main iconographic symbol, she can also be depicted with long hair or having her throat slit.  The angel may also be present, and she typically carried the palm branch of martyrdom.