Artwork
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Giovanni di Paolo. It dates from 1460 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This iconography serves to represent the depth of Catherine's mystical experience and her status as a bride of Christ within the Christian tradition.
The work depicts the mystic marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena, a central event in the saint's hagiography where she is spiritually wed to Christ. As a piece of religious art created in 1460, the painting illustrates this specific theological narrative rather than a historical biography. The composition focuses on the saint as the primary subject, emphasizing her spiritual union.
This iconography serves to represent the depth of Catherine's mystical experience and her status as a bride of Christ within the Christian tradition.
Technique & Style
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena, created in 1460, is executed in tempera with gold leaf on a wooden panel support. The work measures approximately 28.9 cm in both height and width and portrays the saint in the moment of her mystical marriage, a subject drawn from religious hagiography. Its formal composition emphasizes the intimate exchange between Catherine and the Christ figure, rendered with delicate modeling and richly patterned gold decoration typical of 15th‑century Sienese painting.
The painting is classified as a religious work and is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena was created by Giovanni di Paolo in 1460, executed in tempera and gold on panel. The painting subsequently passed through the hands of several private collectors before entering the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its documented ownership chain begins with Adolphe Stoclet, then proceeds to Rudolf J. Heinemann, and later to Lore Heinemann, from whose collection the work was acquired by the museum, where it is now held.
No information regarding the original commission or patron for the panel is recorded in the available sources.
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena by Giovanni di Paolo, painted in 1460, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is executed in tempera and gold on panel and measures 28.9 by 28.9 cm.
Before entering the museum's holdings, the painting was owned successively by Adolphe Stoclet, Rudolf J. Heinemann, and Lore Heinemann.
The provided sources do not record a specific accession number for the work, nor do they document any exhibition history.
Overview
This painting, created by Giovanni di Paolo in 1460, depicts the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena. This significant religious work is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition centers on Catherine, presented in white, surrounded by other figures, all set against a luminous gold background characteristic of the period.
The artist employs a palette of warm hues to evoke a sense of spiritual light and emotional depth.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia was an Italian painter, working primarily in Siena, becoming a prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts.
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