Artwork
Saint Catherine [right wing exterior]
![Saint Catherine [right wing exterior], by Master of the Starck Triptych, oil, 1485](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/master-of-the-starck-triptych--saint-catherine-right-wing-exterior--33943bd5985ff592-w1024.webp)
Saint Catherine [right wing exterior] is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Starck Triptych. It dates from 1485 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The application of oil paint on panel allows for the specific textural and chromatic qualities associated with late fifteenth-century Nuremberg painting.
Executed in 1480, this work is an oil painting on a wooden panel support. The piece measures 66 cm in height and 23.5 cm in width, reflecting the narrow format typical of an exterior wing for a triptych. Created by the Master of the Starck Triptych, the image depicts Catherine of Alexandria within a religious genre framework.
The application of oil paint on panel allows for the specific textural and chromatic qualities associated with late fifteenth-century Nuremberg painting. While specific details regarding current surface condition or conservation history are not provided in the available records, the material construction remains consistent with the artist's known oeuvre and the period's technical standards for portable devotional imagery.
History & Provenance
The panel was executed in 1480 by the Master of the Starck Triptych, employing oil on wood for the right‑wing exterior depicting Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It originally belonged to the Starck family in Nuremberg and later passed to John (Talbot), 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, before being gifted to St. Mary’s College, Oscott, England, in 1839. The work was subsequently sold through Julius H. Weitzner in London to French & Co. in New York by 1976, and finally acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1997. Its creation reflects a devotional commission within the Starck household’s private collection during the late‑15th century.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Saint Catherine [right wing exterior], was created around 1485 by the artist known as the Master of the Starck Triptych. Rendered on a wooden panel, it portrays Catherine of Alexandria, a revered figure in Christian tradition. The work is characterized by its meticulous execution and the careful depiction of its subject, suggesting it was likely part of a larger devotional altarpiece or triptych, serving as an external panel.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features Saint Catherine of Alexandria, identifiable by her regal attire and the symbolic objects placed near her. She is presented in a relatively understated setting, allowing focus to remain on her figure and attributes. These visual cues would have been immediately recognizable to contemporary viewers, conveying her identity and aspects of her narrative, such as her noble status and martyrdom, through established iconographic traditions.
Artist & collection
![The Raising of the Cross [center, left, and right panels], by Master of the Starck Triptych](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/master-of-the-starck-triptych--the-raising-of-the-cross-center-left-and-right-panels--5f0053e23b45aff7-w320.webp)
![Saint Barbara [left wing exterior], by Master of the Starck Triptych](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/master-of-the-starck-triptych--saint-barbara-left-wing-exterior--dc6b24dbebc95d32-w320.webp)
