2-672-942 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

'Saint Apollonia', c1455-1460. Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius. According to church tradition, her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. For this reason, she is popularly regarded as the patroness of dentistry and those suffering from toothache or other dental problems. The painting is part of the Kress Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. From "Masterpieces of Painting", edited by Huntington Cairns and John Walker. [National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., Random House, New York, N.Y. 1944]