Saint Catherine holding palm leaves and a sword, two putti overhead holding a laurel (ca. 1625–59, Met-Objekt 1128)
Original title: Saint Catherine holding palm leaves and a sword, two putti overhead holding a laurel
kurzbeschreibung
Saint Catherine of Alexandria appears in rich garments, holding a sword in her right hand. Two putti hover above her, bearing laurel branches. Schelte Adams à Bolswert created this print between about 1625 and 1659 as an etching with engraving; it is the first of two states. The work is kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Description
The layout is symmetrical, with the saint at the center. Her robe is richly embroidered, and she stands upright and dignified. Two putti hold laurel branches over her head. A column with an ornamental capital appears behind her. Light falls from above, bringing out contours and textures; the printing technique results in a monochrome black-and-white palette.
Context
Schelte Adams à Bolswert was a seventeenth-century Flemish engraver known for his reproductive prints after Peter Paul Rubens. Saint Catherine, with her attributes of sword and palm, corresponds to Catholic Counter-Reformation iconography. The print was made in the first half of the seventeenth century, when artistic production in Antwerp was intense. The exact circumstances of the commission are not recorded.
Impact
Fine linework and the saint's calm, dignified presence define the print. Light and shadow create sculptural depth that remains vivid despite the monochrome. The symmetrical arrangement and ornamental details convey a solemn, almost ceremonial mood.
Technique
Etching with additional engraving, executed in black and white on paper. This technique allows for fine hatching and precise contours, rendering fabrics and architecture in rich detail. The impression is the first of two known states; the sheet has been trimmed.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)