Simon Vouet: Sketch for a female Saint
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| Anonymous (Simon Vouet?): St. Catharine |
1. Introduction
It (vouetpieta1625.blogspot.com) is still being updated daily and has existed since 2015. My first blog has already been visited more than 24,000 times by people from all over the world.
At this time my findings on Vouet's Pietà for St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - which will be partly published by Arnauld Brejon de Lavergnée and his team in a comprehensive monograph on Simon Vouet - are being studied by the experts at the French Louvre.
In the meantime I have started a new exiting study, concearning an other (possible) work by Simon Vouet, which I will discuss in the following publication.
2. The acquisition of the work
Recently I came across a drawing in the collection of a Portuguese art collector. I was told that originally, it came from a private French art collection. In the late 90's of the twentieth century, the drawing came into the possession of the Potugese collector.
I was immediately captivated by the quality of this ink drawing and resolved to investigate it further, now that the style of the work undeniably resembles that of Simon Vouet.
Although the drawing bears a (later?) signature of Simon Vouet, it was offered cheap as an anonymous drawing. Therefore, I decided to purchase the drawing, so that I could do further research into the provenance of the drawing under my own management and in my own time.
3. The physical characteristics of the work
The external characteristics of the drawing can be described as follows:
We see an aged sketch for a female Saint, drawn up in blood-red ink, also called Sanguine. The paper used is handmade rag paper (not wood-containing paper), which was commonly used in the 17th century.
At the bottom of the sketch, in stylish letters a signature is written in gray graphite. it reads "Vouet Simon". Below I've added an image of the work.
The work measures approximately W 18.5 cm x H 33.5 cm.
On the lower right-hand side of the drawing there is, as I mentioned a handwritten signature, in a manuscript that resembles that of Simon Vouet in several respects. Given the smooth hand and the consistent way in which the pencil is handled, we are not dealing here with a deliberately forged signature.
It cannot, of course, be ruled out that someone practiced on the handwriting of the master and then placed his own version of his signature, to make it resemble that of Simon Vouet.
Below is an enlarged view of the signature found.
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| Anonymous drawing: signature bottom right |
We will return to the signature at a later date. First, let's focus on the qualities of the work itself. What do we see and does this in any way relate to the work of Simon Vouet?
3. Who is the person depicted in the drawing?
The person depicted is supposed to represent St. Catherine of Alexandria.
Catherine of Alexandria (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Catherine of Alexandria, was born c. 287 in Alexandria, Roman Egypt. She died c. 305 (aged 17–18) in Alexandria, Roman Egypt.
Various Christian sects revere her.
She is venerated in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglican Communion, Lutheranism.
The nameday of Catherine of Alexandria is 25 November and
7 December (24 November Julian Calendar) for Orthodox churches of Russian background.
Attributes associated with the Saint are the "breaking wheel"; the sword; a crown at her feet; hailstones; bridal veil and ring; adove; scourge (burnwounds); abook; woman arguing with pagan philosophers; decapitation
Patronage: Unmarried girls; Aalsum; apologists; craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters, spinners); archivists; dying people; educators; girls; jurists; knife sharpeners; lawyers; librarians; libraries; Balliol College; Massey College; maidens; mechanics; millers; milliners; hat-makers; nurses; philosophers; preachers; scholars; schoolchildren; scribes; secretaries; spinsters; stenographers; students; tanners; theologians;
Catherine of Alexandria, or Katherine of Alexandria is also known as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine.
According to tradition, she is a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius.
According to her hagiography, she was both a princess and a noted scholar who became a Christian around the age of 14, converted hundreds of people to Christianity and was martyred around the age of 18.
More than 1,100 years after Catherine's martyrdom, Joan of Arc identified her as one of the saints who appeared to and counselled her.
Her life
According to the traditional narrative, Catherine was the daughter of Constus, the governor of Alexandria during the reign of the emperor Maximian (286–305). From a young age she devoted herself to study.
A vision of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus persuaded her to become a Christian.
When the persecutions began under Maxentius, she went to the emperor and rebuked him for his cruelty. The emperor then summoned 50 of the best pagan philosophers and orators to dispute with her, hoping that they would refute her pro-Christian arguments, but Catherine won the debate.
Several of her adversaries, conquered by her eloquence, declared themselves Christians and were at once put to death.
Her death
Catherine was then scourged and imprisoned. She was scourged so cruelly and for so long that her whole body was covered with wounds, from which the blood flowed in streams. The spectators wept with pity, but Catherine stood with her eyes raised to heaven, without giving a sign of suffering or fear.
Maxentius ordered her to be imprisoned without food, so she would starve to death. During the confinement, angels tended her wounds with salve. Catherine was fed daily by a dove from Heaven and Christ also visited her, encouraging her to fight bravely, and promised her the crown of everlasting glory.
During her imprisonment more than 200 people came to see her, including Maxentius' wife, Valeria Maximilla; all converted to Christianity and were subsequently martyred.
Twelve days later, when the dungeon was opened, a bright light and fragrant perfume filled it and Catherine came forth even more radiant and beautiful.
Upon the failure of Maxentius to make Catherine yield by way of torture, he tried to win the beautiful and wise princess over by proposing marriage. Catherine refused, declaring that her spouse was Jesus Christ, to whom she had consecrated her virginity.[citation needed]
The furious emperor condemned Catherine to death on a spiked breaking wheel, but, at her touch, it shattered. Maxentius then ordered her to be beheaded. Catherine herself ordered the execution to commence. A milk-like substance rather than blood flowed from her neck.
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| Caravaggio: St. Catherine of Alexandria, ca. 1598 Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza |
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