Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 17th century

early seventeenth century

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Oil on copper, 11 x 8 cm

With frame, 21 x 18 cm

The saint depicted on this small copper plate is Catherine of Alexandria, a martyr venerated by both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. She lived between the 305rd and XNUMXth centuries AD, and information about her life is contained in later sources dating back several centuries, including the Golden Legend by the Dominican friar Jacobus de Voragine. According to these sources, she lived in Alexandria, Egypt, where she grew up an orphan, surrounded by the attentions of many suitors due to her great beauty. However, one night she dreamed of the Madonna and Child placing a ring on her, consecrating her as the bride of Christ and reawakening in her a calling to a life entirely devoted to Christ alone and no other man. Catherine's martyrdom was due to her refusal to honor the pagan rites performed during a celebration held in honor of the Roman emperor in XNUMX at his palace. Catherine refused the sacrifices and asked the emperor to recognize Jesus Christ as the redeemer of humanity, justifying her invitation with profound philosophical reasoning. The emperor unsuccessfully attempted to convince her to worship the gods, so he sentenced her to death by torture with the cogwheel. During her martyrdom, lightning struck from heaven and split the cogwheel in half, forcing the emperor to behead her. From her severed neck, not blood but milk flowed, a symbol of her purity. Episodes from her life are reflected in the attributes with which the saint is usually depicted: the crown, a symbol of royalty and her mystical marriage to Christ, the broken cogwheel, and the sword, symbols of martyrdom, along with the common martyrs' palm. These objects are also found in this copper plate, associated with a serene figure in a relaxed pose as she gazes in ecstasy at the clear sky from which soft rays of divine light descend.

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