The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
Original title: The mystic marriage of Saint Catherine who sits at center with the Christ child, angels with instruments at the left
kurzbeschreibung
Agostino Carracci dedicated this 1585 copperplate engraving to the mystical marriage of Saint Catherine to the Christ Child. The subject presents a religious scene in which Catherine holds the infant Jesus in her arms, surrounded by angels and a landscape.
Description
Catherine sits in a long robe, the Christ Child on her lap. Above her, a hovering angel bears the child; to the left stand two angels, one with a trumpet. On the right, another figure kneels with an instrument; trees and part of a building close the background. The layout converges symmetrically on the central figure, with light coming from above. Monochrome throughout, the print works with fine lines and shading.
Context
Carracci made this engraving in Bologna in 1585, where with his brother Annibale and cousin Ludovico he founded the Accademia degli Incamminati. In those years the Carracci reformed painting and printmaking by combining observation of nature with the idealization of the Renaissance. The mystical marriage of Saint Catherine was among the widespread themes of sixteenth-century Catholic art and emphasizes the saint's spiritual union with Christ.
Impact
The symmetrical arrangement and soft light give the scene a calm, devotional mood. Precise shading and fine lines lead to a detailed rendering that draws the viewer into the religious narrative. Because color is absent, the figures and their gestures come to the fore.
Technique
As an engraving, the print was made by incising lines into a copper plate and then transferring them with printing ink onto paper. Carracci used cross-hatching and fine parallel lines to achieve effects of light and shadow. Trimmed to 29.3 × 22.6 cm, the view feels compact and concentrated.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)