Object ID
2015.26.4
Object Name
Icon
Date Created
1960
Measurements
35.8775 cm. W x 3.81 cm. D x 44.7675 cm. L Dimensions include frame, Item (Overall)35.8775 cm. W x 3.81 cm. D x 44.7675 cm. L Frame is white and fairly deep. 14.125 in x 17.625 in, Frames
Medium
Paint
Object Description
A framed icon of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The painting shows a woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing a yellow robe with a jeweled, embroidered gold collar. She appears to be wearing a blue garment under the robe, and it has jeweled, embroidered cuffs similar to the collar. Her red cloak is fastened at the should are bears a design in white just below the fastener. Her right hand rests on her breast, holding a brown cross and a sprig of a green plant. Her left hand rests on a spiked wheel in the lower right corner of the painting. Most of the wheel is out of the picture. A gold, jeweled crown sits on her head, with a gold halo behind it. The background of the painting is blue. The painting is edged by a thin white line, with a larger purple edge around it. At the top of the painting, the name "Saint Catherine" is written in Greek. Writing in the bottom right, also in Greek, identifies the studio which created the painting and the year, 1960. The painting is set in a thick white frame.
Origin
This painting was donated by Alex Gianaras.
It is an icon depicting Saint Catherine of Alexandria. According to Christian tradition, Saint Catherine lived during the late third and early fourth century CE in Roman Egypt. When she confronted the emperor about his persecution of Christians, he brought in scholars to debate her and convince her of the errors of Christianity. Instead, she won the debate and several of the scholars converted to Christianity. The emperor had her whipped and imprisoned. While in prison, she had many visitors, who she also converted. The emperor sentenced to be executed on the breaking wheel. However, the wheel miraculously broke when Catherine touched it, and the emperor then had her beheaded instead. She is the patron of many groups, including unmarried girls, craftsmen who work with a wheel, teachers, and attorneys.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Icon, 1960, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/10956. Accessed 05/09/24.