Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c.1615). Bernardo Strozzi (Italian, 1581–1644). Oil on canvas.&

Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c.1615). Bernardo Strozzi (Italian, 1581–1644). Oil on canvas. Wadsworth Atheneum.Catherine was a 4th-century Egyptian princess who converted to Christianity. Frustrated in his efforts to have her recant and marry him, the Emperor Maxentius ordered her to be executed on a spiked wheel. When the wheel was miraculously destroyed, Catherine was beheaded instead. She is portrayed with her usual attributes, a fragment of the wheel, a book, a sword, and the palm branch as a sign of martyrdom. Strozzi created this sensual vision with fluid brushwork, shimmering colors, weightless forms, and fleeting facial expression. -- source link

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