Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Saint Catherine of Alexandria was among the most venerated saints in late medieval and early Renaissance Christendom, her attributes — the wheel of her torture and the sword of her martyrdom — making her immediately identifiable to any viewer. This panel by Schiavone from around 1458, in the National Gallery, forms part of a polyptych or group of related works depicting individual saints. Catherine's cult was particularly strong in Venice and the Veneto, which may reflect the Dalmatian-born Schiavone's awareness of the religious culture surrounding the Adriatic world in which he had grown up.

The saint is rendered in three-quarter or frontal pose with identifying attributes clearly visible. Schiavone's characteristically sculptural modelling gives Catherine the quality of a carved relief brought to painted life.