Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Art Historical Context

Created in 1567 by the Italian printmaker Mario Cartaro, this engraving captures the dramatic martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a popular subject in Renaissance religious art. The large scale of the plate—over seventeen inches tall—gives the composition a commanding presence, allowing fine details to emerge from the precisely incised lines. As the second state of two, this impression reflects the artist’s final refinements to the copper plate before printing. Engravings like this played a vital role in sixteenth-century Europe by making complex religious narratives widely available ...