Ludovico Carracci (Bologna, 1555-1619)
Saint Catherine of Alexandria Visited in Prison by the Empress Faustina, 1600/1601.
oil on canvas; inv. P 93
provenance: church of San Leonardo, cappella Lindri
This particular episode from the life of Saint Catherine is rarely depicted.
It was probably chosen as the subject of the altarpiece for this church because Saint Leonard is the patron saint of prisoners.
When Faustina, wife of the Roman Emperor Maxentius, went to visit Catherine in prison, she found the saint being tended to by the angels and was led to convert to Christianity, along with Porphyrius, Captain of the Guard.
This work is a splendid example of the late style of the eldest Carracci, who went beyond a mere depiction of the environment and narrative setting in an attempt to render the internal drama of the characters.
The meticulous execution and gently idealized features of the figures make it likely that the altarpiece was completed around 1600.
