Saint Catherine
Peter Paul Rubens·1751
Historical Context
The Saint Catherine attributed to Rubens, dated 1751, belongs to the same group of posthumous Rubenesque attributions as the other late-dated works in this collection. Saint Catherine of Alexandria — the virgin martyr who defeated fifty philosophers in theological debate, was tortured on a spiked wheel that miraculously broke, and was finally beheaded — was one of the most popular female saints in Catholic devotion, the patron of scholars, philosophers, and wheel-wrights. Her iconographic attributes (the wheel, the sword, the book) were well established, and Rubens produced numerous genuine versions of the subject during his career.
Technical Analysis
The saint would be depicted with her characteristic wheel attribute, likely in three-quarter format with rich drapery and the dignified bearing of learned Christian martyrdom. The Rubenesque rendering emphasizes warm, luminous flesh and the opulent texture of silk and jewels.
