The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine
Artist/Maker
Giacinto Diana
(Italy, 1730-1803)
Date1750s
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 47 1/4 x 34 1/4 in. (120 x 87 cm)
Framed: 54 x 42 x 2 1/2 in. (137.2 x 106.7 x 6.4 cm)
Framed: 54 x 42 x 2 1/2 in. (137.2 x 106.7 x 6.4 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineBequest of Margaret Elizabeth Kress Jack
Terms
Object number83.0060
DescriptionGiacinto Diana’s oil sketch is a preparatory study for his 1758 altarpiece of the Martyrdom of St. Catherine of Alexandria, one of a series of paintings commissioned for the Neapolitan church of San Raffaele, Pozzuoli. The composition depicts the virgin saint kneeling as she gazes heavenward, prior to her torture and eventual martyrdom on the orders of the Roman Emperor Maximinus, seated high above the tumultuous scene in the foreground, in the shadows of background to the right. On the upper portion of the painting, a multitude of acrobatic angels welcomes the soul of the martyred saint, represented as a ghostly figure rising to heaven. The elegantly posed figures, grand architectural elements, warm tonality, and bright illumination are characteristic of Diana’s early work. A prolific painter of religious altarpieces, ceiling designs, and frescoes, Giacinto Diana was also an influential professor at the Accademia del Disegno in Naples.On View
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