Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Artemisia Gentileschi)

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Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Artemisia Gentileschi - St Catherine of Alexandria - WGA8560.jpg
ArtistArtemisia Gentileschi
Yearc. 1615-17
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions78 cm × 61.5 cm (31 in × 24.2 in)
LocationUffizi, Florence

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]

Subject Matter[]

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.

History[]

Provenance[]

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]

Restoration[]

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]

Scientific Analysis[]

Artemisia Gentileschi - Self-Portrait 5365

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 St. Catherine wears a crown and looks up towards heaven. Tracings from the National Gallery's Self Portrait as St. 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 d'Austria or the artist herself.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Christiansen, Keith; Mann, Judith Walker (2001-01-01). Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi. New York; New Haven: Metropolitan Museum of Art ; Yale University Press. ISBN 1588390063.
  2. ^ a b c d "X-ray of Uffizi's Artemisia Gentileschi reveals a tantalising underpainting". theartnewspaper.com. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Newly Discovered Drawings Beneath a Work by Artemisia Gentileschi Suggest She Often Used Herself as a Model". artnet News. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  4. ^ a b c d e Treves, Letizia (2020). Artemisia. London: The National Gallery Company Ltd.
  5. ^ Garrard, Mary D. (1989). Artemisia Gentileschi: The image of the female hero in Italian Baroque art. Princeton University Press.
  6. ^ a b "Immunity From Seizure: Artemisia" (PDF). The National Gallery, London. The National Gallery, London.
  7. ^ a b Bissell, R. Ward (1999). Artemisia Gentileschi and the authority of art : critical reading and catalogue raisonné. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0271017872.
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