Description
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, painted around 1598–1599, belongs to Caravaggio's early Roman maturity and was almost certainly commissioned by his patron Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte. The saint kneels on a cushion and looks directly at the viewer with a calm yet intense expression, surrounded by the instruments associated with her martyrdom.
Beside her are the spiked wheel intended for her torture, the sword with which she was eventually beheaded and the palm identifying her as a Christian martyr. Rather than presenting an idealised saint, Caravaggio employed a real woman as his model, generally identified as Fillide Melandroni, a figure associated with the Roman circles frequented by the painter.
Through the combination of a contemporary model, strongly tangible objects and dramatic illumination, Caravaggio transforms the story of an ancient martyr into an immediate human presence.
