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Painting by Artemisia Gentileschi From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saint Catherine of Alexandra is a painting by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It is in the collection of the Uffizi, Florence.[1] Gentileschi likely used the same cartoon or preparatory drawing to create both this painting and the Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria (1615–1617), now in the National Gallery, London.[2][3]
| Saint Catherine of Alexandria | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist | Artemisia Gentileschi |
| Year | c. 1615–1617 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 78 cm × 61.5 cm (31 in × 24.2 in) |
| Location | Uffizi, Florence |
The painting is a representation of Catherine, the daughter of King Costus of Alexandria, who defied the emperor Maxentius with her staunch defense of her Christian faith.[4] She was sentenced to death by use of a spiked wheel, but was saved when the instrument miraculously broke. She was subsequently beheaded and later recognized as a Christian martyr, with the broken spiked wheel as her symbol.[4] She is portrayed in a striking red gown with gold embellishment, holding the martyr's palm frond and wearing an elaborate gem-encrusted crown.
While there is no clear evidence to identify a date for this painting, art historians believe it was created during the artist's time in Florence, when Caterina de' Medici was in residence.[4] Depictions of a saint renowned for her beauty and modesty became very popular in Florence during this period, as artists sought patronage from the Medici court.[5] Researchers have further observed the similarity between the image of the martyr's crown and one made for Ferdinand I de' Medici.[4] By 1683, the painting was documented as being in the Medici collection at Villa Artimino, in the Apartment of the Courtly Ladies.[6] By 1890, the painting was in the collection of the Galleria dell'Accademia.[6]
A significant campaign of restoration was completed in 1966, which recovered a painting once believed to be too fragile for public display.[7] The painting suffered further damage from the 1993 bombing near the Uffizi, which was subsequently restored.[7]
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In 2019, this painting was examined by conservators in the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence.[2][3] Infrared, ultraviolet, and x-ray studies demonstrated that Gentileschi changed the composition while she was in the middle of painting it. The underpainting reveals a female head wearing a turban, oriented towards the viewer.[2][3] This differs from Gentileschi's final composition in which Saint Catherine wears a crown and looks up towards heaven. Tracings from the National Gallery's Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria were compared to this underpainting and the study concluded that Gentileschi used the same cartoon or preparatory drawings for both of these images.[2][3] This conclusion provides evidence that Gentileschi used herself as a model when painting images of female martyrs.[3] In addition, the x-rays revealed a third face that was completely painted over in the final version. This was likely an initial sketch for an unrealized work of art, demonstrating that Gentileschi reused her canvases.[3] The final painted image is thought to represent a real person, according to art historians, and may depict Caterina de' Medici, Maria Maddalena of Austria or the artist herself.[4]
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