Workshop of Guido Reni, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 1650, Oil on Canvas, Framed

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Description

Workshop of Guido Reni
(Bologna 1575 - 1642)
Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Oil on canvas (Dimensions (cm): 96 x 73 … Read more Workshop of Guido Reni
(Bologna 1575 - 1642)
Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Oil on canvas (Dimensions (cm): 96 x 73 - with frame 112 x 88)

This splendid work depicts a beautiful female figure, richly dressed and with refined features, gazing down at the earth.

This is Saint Catherine of Alexandria, recognizable by her typical iconographic attributes: the crown and regal robes, which allude to her princely origins, the palm in one hand and the cogwheel, recalling her martyrdom.

Thanks to her noble origins, Catherine of Alexandria was able to dedicate her life to study, surrounding herself with wise men and scholars, becoming highly educated, especially in philosophy and religion. Her figure, which has spawned a rich iconography throughout Europe, has enjoyed a wide following for her distinctive characteristics: she represents a woman of great intelligence, overcoming a millennia-old prejudice, of strong and intrepid character, capable of opposing force with the determination of her faith and knowledge.

We are before a painting of uncommon beauty, a female portrait that instills in the viewer a sense of uncommon formal perfection, made tangible by details such as the grace of her bearing, the precision of the Saint's face and hands, who appears haughty and aristocratic, without pompous accessories or jewelry that might distract attention.
This is despite the painting's profoundly spiritual air, with the Saint isolated in meditation and silent devotion.

This is a particularly high-quality version of the famous Saint Catherine of Alexandra that Guido Reni created around 1638—a companion piece to a Saint Margaret—for the Roman collection of Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna (1637-1689), which is currently housed in the City Art Gallery in Manchester [1].

In our case, we are faced with a valuable version that, harking back to Reni's finest figurative culture, would attest to its authorship within the master's close circle, likely linking it to one of his collaborators or students.
Dwelling on the stylistic characteristics of the canvas, we are inclined to suggest as a possible author one of the master's closest students, specifically Francesco Gessi (Bologna 1588-1649), both for the pictorial layout and stylistic characteristics, the chromatic choices tending towards a bright yet calm palette, and above all for the facial details.

Saint Catherine - Guido Reni (1575–1642) - Manchester Art Gallery

The painting is presented in a beautiful wooden frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic . This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less