Artwork
Altarpiece with the Martyrdom of St Catharine: St Barbara, St Ursula, St Margaret [right wing, recto]
![Altarpiece with the Martyrdom of St Catharine: St Barbara, St Ursula, St Margaret [right wing, recto], by Lucas Cranach the Elder, oil, 1506](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/lucas-cranach-the-elder--altarpiece-with-the-martyrdom-of-st-catharine-st-barbara-st--c62088ffcf05014e-w1024.webp)
Altarpiece with the Martyrdom of St Catharine: St Barbara, St Ursula, St Margaret [right wing, recto] is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1506 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1506 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, this oil panel forms the right-hand wing of an altarpiece portraying the martyrdom of St. Catherine. The work presents three female saints—Margaret, Barbara, and Ursula—arranged side by side against a landscape featuring a distant castle and a brooding sky. It is part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden.
Subject & Meaning
On the right, Saint Ursula, in red, grasps a cross and kneels while restraining a fierce dragon, emphasizing her victory over evil.
The central figure, Saint Margaret, is shown in a richly patterned red‑gold gown, clutching a sword and a small globe, symbols of her steadfast faith and triumph over worldly powers. To her left, Saint Barbara, dressed in green and gold, holds a cup and a white object that allude to her virginity and martyrdom. On the right, Saint Ursula, in red, grasps a cross and kneels while restraining a fierce dragon, emphasizing her victory over evil.
Technique & Style
Cranach employs his characteristic linear clarity and vivid coloration, using oil to achieve fine detail in the saints’ garments and the intricate textures of the background architecture. The composition balances a flat, decorative surface with subtle modeling that gives depth to the figures and the distant fortress, reflecting the early‑Renaissance aesthetic of the German court.
History & Provenance
Originally part of a larger multi‑panel altarpiece dedicated to St. Catherine, the right wing survived the Reformation and later entered the holdings of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. The painting has remained in Dresden since the 19th century, where it is displayed alongside other works by Cranach and his contemporaries.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
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Judith with her servant![Altarpiece with the Martyrdom of St Catharine: St Dorothea, St Agnes, St Kunigunde [left wing, recto], by Lucas Cranach the Elder](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/lucas-cranach-the-elder--altarpiece-with-the-martyrdom-of-st-catharine-st-dorothea-st--a3967c63e11ce8c0-w320.webp)
Altarpiece with the Martyrdom of St Catharine: St Dorothea, St Agnes, St Kunigunde [left wing, recto]