St Catherine, c.1638-40 (oil on canvas)

Saint Catherine, Queen of Alexandria was executed by the Emperor Maxentius after he had tried to torture her to death on a spiked wheel. Her image here is one of quiet humility, beyond suffering. She holds a palm to signify her martyrdom, the instrument of her torture just visible in the lower right. The crown denotes her rank, yet she gazes downward modestly. This is a very late work by Reni, who was born in Bologna, studied briefly with the Carracci, worked intermittently in Rome and in 1622 returned to his native town to become the leading Bolognese painter of his day. Saint Catherine is dateable on stylistic grounds to c. 1638-40, since the lilac cloak and pale green robe show the typical delicate colour and silvery tone of Reni's late work. X-ray examination has revealed that the work was originally conceived as Saint Margaret. The attributes of Saint Catherine - the crown, palm and wheel - were probably added by another hand. Some pentimenti (the visible marks of earlier painting beneath the present paint layers) are visible to the naked eye. In contrast to Northern Europe, Italy remained Catholic and much of the art was made for the church. Guido Reni's blend of idealism and realism produced images of saints, with an emotional impact to which Catholic congregations could relate. St Catherine, Queen of Alexandria, was executed by the Emperor Maxentius after he had tried to torture her to death on a spiked wheel. Her image here is one of quiet humility, and beyond suffering. This late work by Reni shows his abilities as a colourist. X-rays show that it was originally conceived as St Margaret. The attributes of St Catherine - her crown, her martyr's palm, and the wheel on which she was tortured - were probably added by another hand.