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| Byzantine Illuminator, Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria from the Menologium Basilianum Constantinople, c.1000 Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana MS Vat.gr.1613, fol.207 |
As we have seen in the Introduction to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the earliest image we have of Saint Catherine dates to around 1000 and comes from a book of prayers composed for the use of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, the Menologium Basilianum, preserved in the Vatican Library.
Indeed, it is scenes of her martyrdom that
are dominant in the first few centuries of her iconographic tradition.
And, as one scholar puts it “A detailed
analysis of extant K-iconography shows that scenic presentations of episodes in
the legend emerge at least simultaneously with, and usually earlier than, the
corresponding verbal episodes, suggesting strongly that transformations have occurred
in oral tradition before they were fixed in literary texts.”1
 |
| Mahiet and Collaborators, Saint Catherine Before Maximian from Speculum historiale of Vincent of Beauvais French (Paris), c.1335 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Arsenal 5080, fol. 282v |
The scenes of her martyrdom continue to be popular over the longest period as well, although they are
overwhelmed from about the mid-fourteenth century by other aspects of her
iconography, which we will look at later. We will now review some of these scenes, which I am presenting in logical, instead of chronological, order.
The story of Catherine’s martyrdom is unusually
complex. It begins with the recently converted
Catherine being importuned by the Emperor Miamian, either to marry him or to
marry his son, Maxentius (the man who became Constantine’s rival for the
Imperial throne).
 |
| Alabaster panel, Saint Catherine Before Maximian English, 15th Century London, Victoria and Albert Museum |
His pleas fall on deaf
ears because Catherine, as part of her conversion experience, has chosen Christ
as her bridegroom (whether in a spiritual or material sense does not matter at
this point). Further, she refuses his
request that she demonstrate her loyalty by offering the customary sacrifice to
the Roman gods.
 |
| Embroidered Cope After Lucas van Leyden, Saint Catherine Disputing with the Philosophers Flemish, c.1525 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
Angry at her double rebuff, Miamian determines to re-convert
her and sets her into a debate with fifty of his best pagan philosophers, fully
expecting that a mere girl will be unable to overcome their arguments. Catherine, however, has received an excellent
classical education and good instruction in Christianity from the hermit,
Adrian, as part of her conversion. So,
she is able to counter all the efforts of the philosophers to change her
mind.
 |
| Antiveduto Gramatica, Disputation of Saint Catherine of Alexandria Italian, 1610-1620 Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera |
Getting angrier at her the Emperor sends her to prison,
hoping this will break her resolve.
Instead, Catherine continues the debate with the philosophers,
converting many of them, and even converting the Emperor’s wife and the captain
of his guard. Enraged, Maximian orders
all of them to be killed, even including his wife.
 |
| Master of Jacques d'Armagnac, Angels Strengthening Saint Catherine in Prison from Book of Hours French, c.1455 Rennes, Bibliotheque municipale MS Ms 1509, 44v |
 |
| Attributed to Giacomo Graffeo, Saint Catherine converting the Empress and Porphyrius from Saint Catherine of Alexandria Cycle Italian (Sicily), c.1500 Termini Imerese, Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria |
Maximian then subjects Catherine to the torture that provides her
with her most unusual, as well as most recognized, symbolic attribute, the
wheel. This is a device in which the
rims of several wheels are studded with sharpened blades, with the intent to
roll over her and inflict multiple terrible wounds, which would cause her death
from blood loss.
 |
| Master of the Roman de Fauvel, Catherine in Front of the Wheel from Vies de Saints French (Paris), 1300-1325 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 183, fol. 100v |
But Catherine prays to God
to be spared and she is. Before they can
be used the wheels are broken into pieces, sometimes it is said that they are
broken with rocks hurled from heaven by angels, sometimes they are burned by
fires ignited by lightening, sometimes by both, or sometimes they simply fly
apart. In any case, the executioners and
many of the spectators are killed as the dangerously sharp elements of the
wheels fly apart. It is this episode from her martyrdom that most captured the imagination of artists. There are many more of images of this event than of all the other phases of her martyrdom.
 |
| Giovanni di Benedetto and Collaborators, Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria from Missale ad usum fratrum minorum Italy (Milan), c.1385-1390 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 757, fol. 362v |
 |
| Jean Fouquet, Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria from Hours of Etienne Chevalier French (Tours), c.1450 Chantilly, Musée Condé MS Ms 71, fol..38r |
 |
| Master of Morgan 366, Martyrdom of Saint Catherine from Book of Hours French (Tours), 1465-1475 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 366, fol. 149v |
 |
| Atelier of Andrea della Robbia, Martyrdom of SaintCatherine Italian, ea.16th Century Écouen. Musée national de la Renaissance |
 |
| Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria from a Book of Hours French (Berry), 1505-1515 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 250, fol. 144v |
 |
| Gaudenzio Ferrari, Martyrdom of Saint Catherine Italian, 1543 Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera |
 |
| Anonymous, Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria Spanish, Mid-17th Century Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
 |
| Giovanni Sorbi. Martyrdom of Saint Catherine Italian, 1760 Rome, Church of Santa Caterina dei Funari, Cappella Cesi |
Catherine is returned to prison and, in spite of torture remains steadfast. Even more angry now, Maximian orders her to be tortured and condemned.
 |
| Claude Vignon_Saint Catherine Refusing to Sacrifice to the Idols French, c.1650 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
 |
| Attributed to Giacomo Graffeo, Saint Catherine Is Tortured from St. Catherine of Alexandria Cycle Italian (Sicily), c.1500 Termini Imerese, Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria |
 |
| Peter Paul Rubens, Saint Catherine Is Condemned Flemish c.1615 Lille, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
 |
| Johann Wilhelm Pottgiesser. Saint Catherine Condemned German, 1671 Cologne, Holy Apostles Church |
'and finally beheaded.
 |
| Saint Catherine's Dispute with the Philosophers and Martyrdom South Italian ,1251-1260 Casarano, Church of Santa Maria della Croce |
 |
| Master of Jean Rolin/Master of the Dunois Hours, Decapitation of Saint Catherine from a Book of Hours French (Paris), 1455 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 74 G 37a, fol. 14r |
 |
| Jacques de Besancon. Martyrdom of Saint Catherine from the Legenda aurea of Jacob de Voragine French (Paris), c.1480-1490 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 245, fol. 189 This image includes the martyrdom of the philosophers. |
From her severed neck and head flows milk
instead of blood.
 |
| Attributed to Giacomo Graffeo, Milk Flows from Catherine's Severed Head from the Saint Catherine Cycle Italian (Sicily), c.1500 Termini Imerese, Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria |
 |
| Sebastian de Llanos y Valdes, Head of Saint Catherine of Alexandria Spanish, 1652 Castres, Musée Goya |
Her body is then retrieved
by angels and carried to Mount Sinai for burial. 2
For more on Saint Catherine of Alexandria see:
1. Part I -- Introduction
2. Part III -- Burial by Angels
3. Part IV -- Saint Catherine in the Sacra Conversazione
For more on Saint Catherine of Alexandria see:
1. Part I -- Introduction
2. Part III -- Burial by Angels
3. Part IV -- Saint Catherine in the Sacra Conversazione
© M. Duffy, 2016
___________________________________________________
- Beatie, Bruce A. “Saint Katharine of Alexandria: Traditional Themes and the Development of a Medieval German Hagiographic Narrative”, Speculum, Vol. 52, No. 4 (Oct., 1977), p. 797.
- For more on the sources of these comments, please see the extensive footnotes in the Introduction at imaginemdei.blogspot.com/2016/11/saint-catherine-of-alexandria.html.
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