Sculpture of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Sculpture in the round made of carved, polychromed and gilded wood, representing Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The events of her life and martyrdom were compiled and published by Jacobus de Voragine in the Golden Legend (13th century). This particular sculpture alludes to her philosophical dispute with the Roman emperor Maxentius or Maximian and his sages about the existence of God, which made her an allegory of the church’s triumph over paganism.
The saint is depicted in regal attire, according to the fashions of the day, alluding to her high-born status, with symbols of wisdom such as the torch and the book she holds in her hands. Her cult in the west began when some of her relics were brought to France, in the 11th century, and spread across Europe with the Crusaders starting in the 12th century.