Mystic Marriage of St Catherine

Paolo Veronese completed this religious subject in 1547, depicting the mystical union of Saint Catherine of Alexandria with the infant Christ. The Virgin Mary oversees the ceremony in which the saint receives a ring from the Christ child, symbolizing her spiritual devotion. Veronese painted several versions of this popular subject throughout his career.

The work embodies the spirit of the Venetian Renaissance, with its lavish costumes and warm coloring influenced by Titian and Giorgione. Veronese became famous for sumptuous religious scenes that celebrated Venice's opulence. His ability to combine spiritual subjects with material beauty made him one of the most successful painters of his era.

This version, measuring 58 by 91 centimeters, resides at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut. Agostino Carracci later made an engraving after Veronese's composition in 1582, which critic Bartsch considered one of the printmaker's finest works.