1485
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Beheading of Saint Catherine is a 1485 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, depicting Playing Card, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows Saint Catherine kneeling as a soldier raises a sword to chop off her head. Blood sprays in bright red against her pale robe. The background is a simple, flat blue-green. The hand coloring makes it pop—think modern comic books but 500 years old. Woodcuts were cheap and fast, so they spread stories fast too. Grab a magnifying glass and check the blade’s tiny details. See the museum’s page.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
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