Simon KnottNov 25
Today's the feast of St Catherine, one of the most popular of all saints in English medieval church art. Here she is, leaning on her wheel, on the war-damaged 15th Century font at Nettlestead, one of Suffolk's loveliest little churches. Nettlestead: www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/nettlestead....
Show threadSimon KnottNov 25
2/3 St Catherine holds her wheel and a sword in an early 16th Century Flemish devotional statue now in the Burrell Collection, Glasgow. She's recorded as a martyr in Alexandria during the Maxentius Persecution c305, aged about 17. She's the patron saint of single women.
Show threadSimon KnottNov 25
3/3 St Catherine holds a sword and a broken wheel on the Battle Hall Retable, made for Dartford Priory c1410 and now in Leeds Castle, Kent. Her legend was probably conflated with other early virgin martyrs, but she was one of the fourteen medieval Holy Helpers invoked against diseases.
Show threadJonathan Emmesedi

@simoninsuffolk.bsky.social

Here's St Catherine, second from left in a Gerard David painting from around 1510 in London's National Gallery. The two figures to the right of the Virgin and Child are St Barbara and St Mary Magdalene. The man on the left is the donor.

The Christ Child is putting a ring on St Catherine's finger to represent their Mystic Marriage.

There's so much more to this picture, but I'll confine myself to saying I love it.

#Art #GerardDavid #Painting #VirginAndChildWithSaintsAndDonor #StCatherine #StMaryTheVirgin #StBarbara #StMaryMagdalene #ChristChild #EarlyNetherlandish #NorthernRenaissance

Nov 25 at 8:44amWeb