Portrait of a Woman as Saint Catherine
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman in a red dress holds a broken wheel and a palm branch. Her face is calm, almost like she’s posing for a school photo instead of a saint’s portrait. Artists in 1500s Italy often painted wealthy people as saints—it was a fancy way to say, “I’m holy and rich.” The broken wheel is Saint Catherine’s symbol, but here it looks more like a prop than a torture device. If you like how Foschi mixes everyday faces with holy stories, check out other paintings from Italy, 16th century.
