Ancient oil painting on canvas depicting the Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine. Naples 18th century.

Ancient oil painting on canvas depicting the mystical marriage of Saint Catherine.

The scene takes place in the foreground and we see the Madonna holding out the Child towards Saint Catherine of Alexandria, kneeling on the left and recognizable by the crown placed on her head, the latter painted with quick and confident brushstrokes. The saint is about to be mystically married by the child Jesus, who holds the ring finger of her right hand to insert the ring, an iconography in use since the Middle Ages, which symbolizes the perpetual dedication to the virginity of the ex-princess, in which they could recognize all the women who took vows or who in any case were inspired by a Christian type of marital continence.
On the sides, the two apostles watch the scene with anxious anticipation, one of which is intent on writing the story, probably linked to explicit requests from the client. The brown tones of the Neapolitan tradition are enlivened by splashes of colour, like the women's dresses.