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This is the left-hand shutter of a three-part folding altarpiece commissioned by the English merchant, Paul Withypool. The other shutter, which is also in the National Gallery’s collection, shows Saint Ursula. Saint Catherine holds a fresh green palm, the symbol of martyrs – those killed for their Christian faith. She rests its stem against a spiked wooden wheel, the instrument of her torture, which she survived when it miraculously broke into pieces. The sword she holds is a reminder of her eventual execution by beheading. On the reverse of the panel, two cherubs support a medallion that depicts Saint John the Baptist. He holds a reed cross and a scroll inscribed ‘Behold the Lamb of God’ (John 1: 29 and 36), and points to the lamb in his arms.
Title
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Date
1514
Medium
Oil on wood
Measurements
H 84 x W 40 cm
Accession number
NG646
Acquisition method
Bought, 1860
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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Withypool Triptych, Virgin and Child with Saint Joseph and Donor Bristol Museum & Art Gallery -
Withypool Triptych, Saint Catherine of Alexandria Bristol Museum & Art Gallery -
Withypool Triptych, Saint Ursula Bristol Museum & Art Gallery -
Saint Ursula The National Gallery, London -
The Virgin and Child with Saint John The National Gallery, London -
Saint Catherine of Alexandria The National Gallery, London