Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Bernardo Cavallino's Saint Catherine of Alexandria from 1636 is an early masterwork by one of the most refined painters of the Neapolitan Baroque. Cavallino, who died young during the plague of 1656, produced intimately scaled paintings of exceptional chromatic beauty for private collectors in Naples. His Saint Catherine combines the dramatic lighting of Caravaggism with a lyrical grace that sets him apart from his Neapolitan contemporaries.

Cavallino's oil-on-canvas technique demonstrates his signature refinement, with luminous flesh tones and richly colored draperies emerging from deep shadow. The fluid, delicate brushwork and silvery highlights reveal the influence of both Van Dyck and the Venetian painters Cavallino studied.