Saint Catherine and Saint Barbara (pair)c. 1520 · Study 1942.633

Context from the museum

Saint Catherine holds the sword with which she was martyred, and Saint Barbara holds both a book and a ring symbolizing her scholarly pursuits and union with God. According to legend, the leather thongs with which she was beaten were transformed into peacock plumes. These two paintings were originally the wings of an altarpiece flanking a central panel, now lost, that may have depicted the Holy Family. The identity of this artist is unknown, but he is named for a painting in the Chapel of the Holy Blood in Bruges. Bruges flourished as an international commercial center through the 1400s and early 1500s. Among its residents were many foreign merchants and bankers who, along with the Burgundian court, patronized artists and attracted specialized craftsmen such as furriers, hatters, jewelers, and goldsmiths. Bruges’s artistic production in the 1400s included celebrated artists like Jan van Eyck, Petrus Christus, Hans Memling, and Gerard David who painted large altarpieces, small panels for private devotion, and portraits. Bruges also remained an important center for the production of illuminated manuscripts.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Saint Catherine and Saint Barbara (pair) is 30 cm wide and 86.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 11.8 × 34.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.35:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.26 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 10.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 135.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Saint Catherine and Saint Barbara (pair) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, tempera on wood panel, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 30 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?