St. Catherine of Siena and the Beggar
Saint Catherine (1347-1380) was the daughter of a prosperous Sienese cloth dyer. At the age of six, she saw a vision of Christ and thereafter dedicated herself to chastity, penance, and good works. She became much beloved in Siena for selflessly caring for victims of the Black Death. This panel, with 1966.2, was once part of a predella (or pedestal) of a large altarpiece painted for the Hospital Church of Siena. The main scene of this altarpiece, showing the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (now preserved in Siena) was ordered by the Pork Butchers Guild (the Pizzicaiuoli) in 1447. The p...
Details
- Palette
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- Medium
- tempera and gold on wood
- Dimensions
- framed: height 0.356 m, width 0.357 m, depth 0.045 m; unframed: height 0.287 m, width 0.289 m
- Origin
- Italy, Siena
- Department
- Medieval Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Subject Matter
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Saints Both · 99%
The catalog identifies the principal subject as Saint Catherine of Siena, and the image shows haloed female religious figures in a devotional scene.
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Deities and Holy Figures Both · 94%
The museum identifies the beggar as Christ in disguise, while the image visibly includes multiple haloed figures.
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Narrative Both · 98%
The catalog describes the giving and return of a cloak, and the image presents figures engaged in a sequential, action-based encounter.
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Interiors Visual · 99%
Arches, columns, window openings, moldings, and a tiled floor establish the scene as an architectural interior.
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Attenuated Figure Visual · 96%
The thin, elongated, staff-bearing male figure at the right has notably attenuated limbs and body proportions.
Styles and Movements
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Medieval Art Metadata · 99%
The museum classifies the work as Medieval Art.
Medium and Techniques
Time Periods
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15th Century Art Metadata · 98%
The panel is dated to the 1460s.
Geographic Regions
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Italian Art Metadata · 99%
The artist and place of origin are identified as Italian and Siena, Italy.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Christian Art and Architecture Both · 98%
The catalog describes a Christian saint and Christ in disguise, while the image uses halos, religious habits, and an ecclesiastical-looking setting.
Source & rights
Giovanni di Paolo (Italian, c. 1403–1482). St. Catherine of Siena and the Beggar. Cleveland Museum of Art.