Saint Catherine of Siena

Lo Spagna painted this Saint Catherine of Alexandria around 1512 for the Art Institute of Chicago. Lo Spagna was a Spanish-born painter active in Umbria who became the faithful follower of Perugino, perpetuating the master's serene devotional style in the hill towns of the Spoleto valley. Tempera on panel suited the precise, layered technique expected by ecclesiastical and private patrons across Europe.

The panel reflects Perugino's influence in the soft modeling, luminous palette, and gentle devotional atmosphere, with the saint's idealized features and graceful pose characteristic of the Umbrian school's refined devotional manner.