Saint Catherine of Alexandria

oil on canvas

Dimensions: 81 x 61 cm.

with frame 93 x 73 cm.

This fine painting, which depicts a beautiful female figure in rich robes and with refined features, can certainly be attributed to the body of work by the Florentine painter Francesco Curradi (Florence 1570–1661): as we shall see, the typical characteristics of the female portraits found in the artist’s works are indeed present, such as the facial features and the gentle expression on the face, as well as the meticulous rendering of the hair and the rich garments.

This is Saint Catherine of Alexandria, one of the most celebrated figures in seventeenth-century devotional painting, recognisable by her typical iconographic attributes: the crown and princely robes, testifying to her noble origins, together with the cogwheel symbolising her martyrdom.

Catherine devoted her life to study, surrounding herself with scholars and men of learning, and became highly learned, particularly in philosophy and religion; her image, which has inspired a vast body of iconography throughout Europe, has enjoyed a wide following as it depicts a woman of great intelligence—thus dispelling a millennia-old prejudice—and of strong character, capable of standing up to oppression through the determination of her faith and her knowledge.

A pupil of Giovan Battista Naldini, Francesco Curradi is one of the leading figures in seventeenth-century Florentine painting, celebrated by art critics as the painter of elegance and devotion, whose stylistic delicacy enabled him to become the most sought-after painter of sacred scenes amongst the Tuscan nobility.

The secret of his elegance lies in his harmonious compositions, in which he avoided the dramatic excesses of the Roman Baroque, preferring purity of design.

We see this aspect in the young woman’s face, turned intently upwards, which exudes that sense of sweet devotional intimacy and soft chiaroscuro influenced by the style of Andrea del Sarto, rendering the skin and fabrics incredibly silky.

His work is characterised by a discreet luxury, with an almost Flemish ability to render the tactile texture, lustre and quality of finely embroidered fabrics, reflecting the aristocratic fashion of Florence at the time.

Returning finally to our composition, this is a subject previously explored by Curradi; more specifically, it is a detail taken from a more elaborate painting, the ‘Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist, Saint Lawrence, Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Agnes’ (fig. 1), commissioned for the Conservatorio delle Mantellate in Florence, which can be dated to the first decade of the seventeenth century (between 1602 and 1608).

Fig. 1

Francesco Curradi, Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist, St Lawrence, St Catherine of Alexandria and St Agnes, Conservatorio delle Mantellate, Florence

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is complemented by an attractive gilded frame.

The work is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We arrange and organise the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, using professional and insured carriers.

Please contact us for any further information; we will be delighted to assist you. You can also view the painting at our gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of artworks.

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