The mystic marriage of Saint Catherine
Candid, Peter (ca. 1548-1628)
Schwarz, Christoph (ca. 1548-1592) (follower or school of)
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
[Museum inv. no.: 1980.72]
Item location
Description
Painting includes images of angels in the clouds playing musical instruments (lute, harp, end-blown flutes, and a bowed string instrument played on the shoulder--possibly lira da braccio). One angel is singing from an open book.From the museum website:
According to legend, Saint Catherine of Alexandria dreamt she became Christ’s spiritual bride. Most depictions show the Infant Christ placing a ring on the saint’s finger, but here the figures’ interaction is limited to tender gestures and eye contact. Less literal interpretations of the subject began to appear in late 16th-century Italian painting, particularly among Venetian artists. Candid’s composition closely follows a painting by Christoph Schwarz, whom he met in Munich at the court of Duke William V. Both artists spent their early careers in Italy. This type of imagery resonated with the emphasis on personal, interior religious experience promoted by the Catholic Church during the Counter Reformation.
People as subjects
St. Catherine of Alexandria (ca. 282-ca. 305)Jesus Christ
Iconclass
11HH(CATHERINE)34the mystic marriage of St. Catherine of Alexandria with the infant Christ: the Christ-child puts a ring on her finger
Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)
Lute [3394]End-blown flute [3940]
Harp [3285]
Lira da braccio [3181]
RIdIM images
