Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Cristoforo Solari

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The head of a Roman Empreror at Saint 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 Virtues on Tullio Lombardo's Vendramin monument, just completed when Solari first visited Venice. [Peter J. Bell, 2015]

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art