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Virgin and Child with Saint Jerome and Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Carolino da Viterbo

1450

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Italo Byzantine Renaissance Renaissance Religious Siena

Dominant colour

Virgin and Child with Saint Jerome and Saint Catherine of Alexandria is a 1450 unspecified by Carolino da Viterbo, a Italo Byzantine work, depicting Siena, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Carolino da Viterbo
When & what style?: 1450 · Italo Byzantine
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see Mary holding baby Jesus, with Saint Jerome on one side and Saint Catherine on the other. Bright halos with Latin words float behind their heads. The roses in Jesus’s hand aren’t just pretty—they stand for heaven and his future suffering. A small bird in his other hand means the human soul. The halos spell out who’s who, like labels in a comic strip. If you like this quiet, gold-leaf style, look up *sfumato*.

The story of this work

Overview

In his right hand, the Christ child grasps a stem of roses. The beauty and fragrance of roses symbolize heaven, while their thorny stems allude to the crown of thorns and Christ's suffering. The bird he holds in his left hand symbolizes the human soul. The elaborate haloes with Latin inscriptions identify the figures and help organize the composition. The names of Christ, Saint Jerome, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria appear in abbreviated form. The Madonna's halo proclaims her worthiness to bear the Son of God: "Hail, full of grace," while the inscription at the top is one of her most…