The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Mystical weddings were an important theme in colonial religious tradition. Through these images, marriage with Christ was represented, a moment that every woman who entered a convent aspired to.

Catherine was a noble and rich young woman born in Egypt. Due to her aristocratic origin, she is represented in this image dressed in an ermine cloak. 

Catherine was considered a model of faith and wisdom for having challenged the authority of the Roman emperor Maxentius and his belief in pagan deities. This earned him his martyrdom with a cogwheel and, finally, his beheading. 

The saint’s conversion to Christianity was marked by a miraculous event depicted in this painting: according to it, Jesus Christ appeared to her and took her as his fiancée. 

Jesus is represented here as an infant, only covered by a white cloak, a symbol of purity. His gaze is directed towards the saint. With his left hand, he holds her hand, and with his right, the ring. 

The Holy Family is portrayed in the scene. This was one of the most represented themes in New Granada imagery. It was an iconography through which the Church sought to establish a new family structure and the roles within it. 

The Virgin, dressed in a pink habit and blue mantle, holds the Child on her legs. 

Next to him, we see the figure of Saint Joseph, who holds in his hand a bouquet of lilies, a symbol of purity. He places his other hand on the saint’s shoulder. 

While the mystical scene is accompanied by angels, on the right of the image, you can see a darkened room. The presence of various objects in it shows the material culture of the colonial period.