Artwork
Countess de Pagès, née de Cornellan, as St Catherine
Countess de Pagès, née de Cornellan, as St Catherine is an oil painting by the French Romanticist artist Joseph-Désiré Court. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Joseph-Désiré Court executed Countess de Pagès, née de Cornellan, as St Catherine in oil paint on a canvas support. The painting measures 83 cm in height and 66 cm in width. As a religious genre work, the composition depicts Catherine of Alexandria, utilizing the traditional medium of oil on canvas to render the subject.
History & Provenance
The work was painted by Joseph-Désiré Court in 1850, as recorded by the artist’s dated title and corroborated by the Rijksmuseum’s collection documentation.
The work was painted by Joseph-Désiré Court in 1850, as recorded by the artist’s dated title and corroborated by the Rijksmuseum’s collection documentation.
It entered the public record through the Amsterdam collection of Adriaan van der Hoop, who later bequeathed it to the Rijksmuseum in 1854. The painting has remained in the museum’s holdings since that transfer.
The painting is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it entered via the Adriaan van der Hoop bequest in 1854.
It has been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum in the presentation of the Van der Hoop legacy, most recently in the museum’s long-term galleries of 19th‑century European paintings.
Overview
Countess de Pagès, née de Cornellan, as St Catherine is an oil painting created by French artist Joseph-Désiré Court circa 1850. The work belongs to the Rijksmuseum collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Countess personified as St Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian martyr. The subject's attire, a golden crown and a book, aligns with traditional representations of St Catherine, symbolizing her wisdom and martyrdom.
Context
As a work of French Romanticism, the painting reflects the era's emphasis on emotion, detail, and historical/religious subjects. St Catherine of Alexandria, often depicted with a crown and book, was a popular subject due to her legendary wisdom and perseverance under persecution.
Legacy
While the painting's broader impact on art history is not distinctly outlined, it remains a characteristic example of 19th-century French Romantic portraiture with religious themes, preserved within a major European museum collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph-Désiré Court (14 September 1797 – 23 January 1865) was a French painter who specialised in history painting and portrait painting.
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