Description
In the style of Guido Reni
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Oil on canvas
71x93.5 cm
The painting depicts Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a greatly venerated Christian martyr, particularly in the Middle Ages and Baroque periods. The figure represented is a crowned young woman, looking upwards in an attitude of ecstasy or divine vision. She wears a sumptuous robe, with a fur-lined mantle and richly draped clothes, a symbol of her royalty and nobility of spirit. Her right hand is placed on her chest, a gesture expressing devotion, while her left holds a quill pen (symbol of knowledge) and near her, a toothed wheel, the attribute of her martyrdom, can be glimpsed. The painting dates from the 17th century, a period known for the Baroque, and displays stylistic characteristics that clearly reflect this artistic movement. Influences of Guido Reni are evident in the delicacy of the face, the sweetness of the expression, the soft light that models the figure with grace, and the theatrical yet spiritual sense of the composition.
Dimensions
71x93.5 cm
Provenance
Private collection
Condition
Recently restored. Unframed.
