Saint Catherine in Prison Converting the Empress Faustina to Christianity, Flanked by Saints Saturnius and Simon
1570/71
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash, heightened with lead white gouache, on blue laid paper
Dimensions
Sight: 19.6 × 39.5 cm (7 3/4 × 15 9/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
223807
Art Historical Context
Federico Zuccaro, a leading Italian Mannerist artist active in the late 16th century, created this dynamic drawing around 1570–71. Titled *Saint Catherine in Prison Converting the Empress Faustina to Christianity, Flanked by Saints Saturnius and Simon*, it captures a dramatic moment from the golden legend of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Imprisoned for her faith, the saint miraculously converts Empress Faustina, with the flanking saints Saturnius and Simon adding a sense of divine support and communal witness. Zuccaro's composition reflects the Counter-Reformation's emphasis on heroic martyrd...
About the Artist
Federico Zuccaro
Federico Zuccari, born around 1540 or 1541 in Sant'Angelo in Vado near Urbino, emerged as one of the leading figures of late Mannerism, the younger brother of the acclaimed painter Taddeo Zuccari. The son of a modest painter, Ottaviano, he moved to Rome at age 11, where he studied under his elder brother Taddeo in his bustling workshop, assisting on major commissions and honing his skills in fresc...