Saint Catherine of Alexandria

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FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Catherine of Alexandria was a martyr from the early fourth century. According to legend, she was a princess and a scholar who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, and converted to Christianity at age 14. At age 18 she was imprisoned and tortured by Maxentius, the pagan emperor. The symbol most often associated with Saint Catherine, and depicted alongside her here, is a spiked breaking wheel. When the emperor ordered her death by the wheel, it crumbled under her touch. Instead, the young martyr was beheaded. This small devotional painting by an unknown German artist depicts a forlorn Catherine wearing a martyr's crown and luxurious fur-trimmed cloak while holding a staff. The background is covered in finely tooled gold leaf.

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