Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria
- Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi
- Date: about 1615-17
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Artemisia Gentileschi, painted in the Italian north. You're looking at one of the most celebrated female artists of the seventeenth century, but instead of a traditional self-portrait, Gentileschi appears here in the guise of a Christian saint.
She's depicted leaning on a broken wheel studded with iron spikes, which was her standard attribute in art. This wheel is actually the instrument of torture she endured during the trial following her rape at the age of 17 by Agostino Tassi. The painting shows Gentileschi as resilient and strong, bringing her right hand to her chest while delicately holding a martyr's palm.
Artemisia was known for using her own image in many works produced in Florence, possibly as a conscious act of self-promotion. The tightly cropped composition focuses our attention on Saint Catherine's resolute face and strong arm. The painting is contained in a small square and features theatrical lighting, with the saint gazing directly out at us while her body faces the wheel.
This work shows a naturalism and dramatic lighting reminiscent of Caravaggio, who had associated with Artemisia's father Orazio in the first decade of the seventeenth century. Unfortunately, Artemisia was forgotten over the following centuries, but her work has only been properly re-evaluated over the last 50 years. This self-portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria is a remarkable example of Gentileschi's talent and her ability to portray strong female heroines in art.
See it in person
Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
