St. Catherine and St. Ursula

Thomas von Villach's Saints Catherine and Ursula, painted around 1450 and now in the Munich Central Collecting Point, depicts two of the most popular female saints of the late medieval period — Catherine of Alexandria, the learned martyr who confounded fifty philosophers in theological debate, and Ursula, the legendary British princess martyred with eleven thousand virgin companions at Cologne. Both saints were members of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, the group of intercessory saints particularly venerated in German-speaking lands for protection against plague and sudden death.

Tempera on panel. The two saints are shown as elegant, standing figures in the devotional presentation format, each with her identifying attributes — Catherine with her wheel and sword, Ursula with her arrows and palm of martyrdom.