# St Catherine of Alexandria [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [SOLARI, Cristoforo]() - Date: 1451-1500 - Technique: Marble, height 121 cm ## Commentary The head of a Roman Empreror at St Catherine's feet symbolizes her defeat of paganism. Her relaxed pose and serene expression, combined with the broken wheel on which she was tortured, convey her acceptance of her Christian martyrdom. Her coiffure and clothing are suggestive of classical Greek statuary, and might allude to her life in the eastern Roman Empire. This work's profuse classical references demonstrate the mastery of the antique style for which Solari was renowned. Though probably carved in Milan, the figure may have been inspired by statues of the <a onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/l/lombardo/tullio/1vendra2.html'\)" href="/html/l/lombardo/tullio/1vendra2.html">Virtues on Tullio Lombardo's Vendramin monument,</a> just completed when Solari first visited Venice. ## Related artworks - [Detail of the façade]() - [Effigies of Lodovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este \(detail\)]() - [Effigies of Lodovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este \(detail\)]() - [Effigies of Lodovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este]() - [Effigies of Lodovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este]() - [Effigies of Lodovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este]() - [St Helena, Job \(or Lazarus\) and Adam]() - [View of the courtyard]() - [Virtue]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()