This image offers a powerful gesture of sympathy and spiritual reflection, honoring resilience in the face of suffering. Saint Apollonia appears calm and composed, holding the symbol of her torment - a single tooth - as a quiet testament to faith under persecution.

She stands tall, a still emblem of endurance and devotion. The tooth clasped in her tongs nods to the brutal torture she endured, securing her place among the venerated martyrs. Once part of the ornate Sant’Agostino altarpiece, she was likely placed where natural light struck from the left, subtly amplifying her presence.

Currently being held at The National Gallery of Art, courtesy of Samuel H. Kress Collection.