Raphael, Saint Catherine of Alexandria

ca 1507

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Raphael-Saint-Catherine-of-Alexandria

Overview

Medium: Oil
Support: Poplar
Size: 72.2 x 55.7 cm
Art period: High Renaissance

National Gallery London
NG168

 

Saint Catherine of Alexandria was also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr. She was a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred on the spiked wheel in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius (in later versions Maximinus or Maximianus).

Related Paintings

Caravaggio-Saint-Catherine

Caravaggio, Saint Catherine, ca 1598
Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Madrid

Pigments

Pigment Analysis

This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at the National Gallery London (1). The results of the investigation have been published in references (1) and (2) and all the microscopic images of cross-sections, the infrared and X-ray images are included in the website of the Raphael Research Project of the National Gallery London (3).

 

Raphael-Saint-Catherine-of-Alexandria-pigments

 

1 Blue sky: natural ultramarine mixed with white.
2 Greenish-blue clouds: natural ultramarine mixed with some azurite.
3 Golden halo and the rays of the sun: probably powdered metallic gold (shell gold).

Raphael-Saint-Catherine-of-Alexandria-pigments-1-2-3

 

4 Brown wheel of Saint Catherine: lead-tin yellow, lead white, intense yellow ochre, umber, vermilion, black, and a little azurite.
5 Red drapery: madder lake mainly in the lower layers and carmine kermes lake mainly in the upper layers, lead white, and in some areas also azurite.

Raphael-Saint-Catherine-of-Alexandria-pigments-4-5

 

6 Dark brown foliage of the small tree on the left side: red ochre, brown ochre, azurite, and a little lead-tin yellow.
7 Brownish-green landscape: lead-tin yellow, lead white, intense yellow ochre, umber, vermilion, black, and a little azurite.

Raphael-Saint-Catherine-of-Alexandria-pigments-6-7

 

References

(1) Roy, A., Spring, M., Plazzotta, C. ‘Raphael’s Early Work in the National Gallery: Paintings before Rome‘. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 25, pp 4–35. Available as pdf.

(2) Marika Spring, Raphael’s Materials: Some New Discoveries and their Context within Early Sixteenth-Century Painting, Eu-ARTECH Raphael Workshop, National Gallery London, 2004. Available as pdf.

Resources

See the collection of online and offline resources such as books, articles, videos, and websites on Raphael in the section ‘Resources on Painters

PowerPoint Presentations

Resources-Raphael-Painter-in-context

Painter in Context: Raphael

A richly illustrated presentation on the Italian Renaissance painter Raphael Santi containing information on painting technique, pigments employed, and important written and online resources.

Number of slides: 16
Formats included in the download: PowerPoint Screen Presentation (ppsx) and pdf

Videos

Video: 'Raphael, Saint Catherine of Alexandria' by Luigi Manfredi

Publications and Websites

Publications

(1) Roy, A., Spring, M., Plazzotta, C. ‘Raphael’s Early Work in the National Gallery: Paintings before Rome‘. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 25, pp 4–35. Available as pdf.

(2) Marika Spring, Raphael’s Materials: Some New Discoveries and their Context within Early Sixteenth-Century Painting, Eu-ARTECH Raphael Workshop, National Gallery London, 2004. Available as pdf.

(3) Hugo Chapman, Tom Henry and Carol Plazzotta, Raphael – from Urbino to Rome, exhibition catalog, National Gallery London, 2004. Available as pdf.

Websites

 Studying Raphael, Raphael Research Resource, National Gallery London.