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Holy Family with the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine

c. 1560
(Italian, 1531–1571)
Italy
oil on panel
Image: 148 x 103 cm (58 1/4 x 40 9/16 in.)
Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 2019.168
Location: 118 Italian Renaissance
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Did You Know?

Saint Catherine is usually shown with a spiked wheel; here, it is barely visible below her hand.

Description

The marriage shown in this painting is called “mystic” because it was a purely symbolic. The infant Jesus places a ring on the finger of Catherine of Alexandria, a fourth-century saint who had a vision of dedicating herself to God and remaining a virgin instead of marrying. Note the otherworldly quality of the women and children’s elegant faces, compared to the naturalism of elderly Saint Joseph, who may be a likeness of someone the artist knew.
Holy Family with the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine

Holy Family with the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine

c. 1560

Tommaso d’Antonio Manzuoli, called Maso da San Friano

(Italian, 1531–1571)
Italy

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