Saint Catherine holding palm leaves and a sword, two putti overhead holding a laurel
ca. 1625–59
Medium
Etching and engraving; first state of two
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 15 1/8 × 9 1/2 in. (38.4 × 24.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.7158
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking print portrays Saint Catherine, the early Christian martyr, as she holds palm fronds symbolizing her martyrdom alongside a sword, the instrument of her death. Two putti hover above, offering a laurel wreath that evokes themes of victory and reward. Created between 1625 and 1659 through the collaboration of Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens and engraver Schelte Adams à Bolswert, the work reflects the era’s deep interest in devotional imagery during the Counter-Reformation. Executed in etching and engraving as the first state of two, the medium allowed for wide circulation of relig...
About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens|Schelte Adams à Bolswert · 1577–1640
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...