Flemish school of the second third of the XVI century.

Flemish school of the second third of the XVI century.

"Saint Catherine".
Oil on board (oak), cradled.
Presents restorations. It also needs restoration.
Measurements: 66 x 32,5 cm; 78 x 47 cm (frame).

Devotional painting in which a young woman is represented holding a sword in her right hand, an attribute that seems to identify her as Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Her elegant attire supports this idea, given that she was a princess who gave her life in divine love and study. The open book refers to her wisdom. This saint was traditionally represented with the symbols of martyrdom: the wheel and the tray with her amputated breasts. But from the Renaissance onwards it became more frequent to find her as she is shown here, with only the sword that finally put her to death. Stylistically, the painting is ascribed to mannerist modes. There is a certain interweaving of influences, as it is impregnated with an aura of classicism, rooted in Renaissance models.