Lot 16

Karel Škréta (1610 - 1674) (attributed, group / school) MARTYRDOM OF SAINT CATHERINE

St. Catherine was a young Christian who was martyred in the Egyptian city of Alexandria by the Romans in the 4th Century A.D. It was a period which witnessed several martyrdoms of Christians throughout the Empire, before Constantine legalized Christianity. She was of noble origins, and she is believed to have been the daughter of Costus, governor of Alexandria. This painting depicts this scene, when she was publicly executed and angels are taking her to heaven on an upward spiral.