Virgin and Child with Saint Catherine of Alexandria
The infant Jesus responds with playful enthusiasm to an adoring Saint Catherine, a princess identified by pearls and a martyr’s palm. She was esteemed as an intercessor for young women because of the "mystical marriage" that bound her to Christ. The picture’s warm humanity and elegantly rhythmic composition reflect Van Dyck’s great admiration for Titian, Veronese, and other artists during his years in Italy (1621–27).
Artwork Details
- Title: Virgin and Child with Saint Catherine of Alexandria
- Artist: Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, Antwerp 1599–1641 London)
- Date: ca. 1630
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 43 x 35 3/4 in. (109.2 x 90.8 cm); with added strips 44 1/8 x 37 in. (112.1 x 94 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Bequest of Lillian S. Timken, 1959
- Object Number: 60.71.5
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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