Artwork
Saint Catherine
Saint Catherine is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Benedetto Luti. It dates from 1651 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work was created by Benedetto Luti in 1651 and currently resides in the Museo del Prado, where it is recognized for its depiction of the saint.
The painting depicts Catherine of Alexandria, a central figure in religious art, serving as the main subject of the work. As a religious genre piece, the artwork focuses on the representation of this specific saint, aligning with the iconographic traditions associated with her veneration. The work was created by Benedetto Luti in 1651 and currently resides in the Museo del Prado, where it is recognized for its depiction of the saint.
The subject matter is strictly defined by the figure of Catherine of Alexandria, without additional symbolic elements explicitly detailed in the provided records.
Technique & Style
Benedetto Luti’s Saint Catherine is executed in oil paint on canvas, adhering to the conventions of seventeenth-century religious painting. The dimensions measure 61 by 76 centimeters, a modest scale that supports intimate devotional or domestic display.
Stylistically, the work reflects the refined elegance of late Baroque portraiture, with smooth, controlled brushwork and a polished finish. The handling is precise, emphasizing the luminous quality of the saint’s drapery and flesh tones, while the composition maintains a balanced, serene symmetry typical of Luti’s religious subjects. The condition of the painting, as documented in its Prado collection context, appears stable, though no specific restoration history is recorded in the sources.
History & Provenance
Saint Catherine was painted in 1651 by Benedetto Luti in oil on canvas. The canvas measures 61 cm in height and 76 cm in width. The work entered the Spanish royal collection and was owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain.
It is now housed in the Museo del Prado, with a noted association to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. This provenance traces the painting from its creation in the mid‑seventeenth century through royal ownership to its present museum location.
The painting Saint Catherine by Benedetto Luti is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. Historical records indicate the work was once owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain and was located at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. Created in 1651, the oil on canvas depicts Catherine of Alexandria and measures 61 cm in height by 76 cm in width.
The provided sources do not list a specific inventory number or detail any public exhibition history for this artwork.
Overview
Benedetto Luti’s oil on canvas from 1651 portrays the early‑Christian martyr Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The composition centers on a solitary female figure seated at a table, her gaze directed toward an open book that rests before her. The work is part of the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
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