Artwork
Die Vermählung der hl. Katharina
Die Vermählung der hl. Katharina is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Giulio Cesare Procaccini. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This event illustrates the spiritual union between the saint and the infant Christ, who places a ring upon her finger.
The painting depicts the mystic marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a central subject in religious art. This event illustrates the spiritual union between the saint and the infant Christ, who places a ring upon her finger. As a work of religious genre by Giulio Cesare Procaccini, the composition focuses on this specific hagiographic moment to represent Catherine's divine commitment and martyrdom.
The imagery serves to honor the saint's legendary status as a defender of the faith through her mystical betrothal.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil on canvas, typical of late Renaissance religious paintings by Procaccini. The canvas support is applied directly to the painted surface, a standard practice for large devotional works of the period. The painting measures 183.5 cm in height by 153.5 cm in width, as recorded in its physical description.
The composition centers on Saint Catherine of Alexandria in a mystical marriage to Christ, depicted with traditional attributes including a wheel and a crown. The formal treatment emphasizes rich coloration and intricate drapery, characteristic of Procaccini’s style in the late 16th century.
History & Provenance
The painting is dated to 1587, marking an early work by Giulio Cesare Procaccini. It is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections and displayed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The sources do not provide details on the commission, prior ownership chain, or specific circumstances of the work's creation.
Die Vermählung der hl. Katharina is housed in the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is on display at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It was accessioned under the inventory number that corresponds to the Bavarian State Painting Collections' holdings, though the precise accession identifier is not specified in the source.
The work was created in 1587 by Giulio Cesare Procaccini and has been exhibited as part of the Alte Pinakothek's permanent religious art displays, reflecting its ongoing status within the collection's public presentation.
Overview
Giulio Cesare Procaccini’s 1594 oil painting Die Vermählung der hl. Katharina presents a compact assembly of figures centered on a partially nude child reaching toward two kneeling women. The composition is set against a darkened backdrop, with the illuminated faces and hands drawing immediate focus. The work is part of the early Baroque repertoire and is currently housed in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek.
Context
The work reflects the Counter‑Reformation’s emphasis on clear, emotionally resonant religious imagery, a program championed by Borromeo. Procaccini collaborated with contemporaries such as Giovanni Battista Crespi and Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, sharing a common aim to convey devotional intensity through dramatic lighting and tightly arranged figures.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giulio Cesare Procaccini (30 May 1574 – 14 November 1625) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the early Baroque era in Milan.
- Mystic marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Madonna del S. Gerolamo (Maria mit Kind, hll. Maria Magdalena, Hieronymus und Engeln)
Heilige Familie
Die Heilige Familie mit dem Johannesknaben
The Holy Family
Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
Den hellige familie
Geburt des Adonis
Maria mit dem Kind (?)
The Engagement of St Catherine of Alexandria
Männliches Bildnis