Artwork
Virgin and Child, with Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a Female Saint, and an Angel
Virgin and Child, with Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a Female Saint, and an Angel is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of Hoogstraeten. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1512, this oil on canvas presents the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ, accompanied by Saint Catherine of Alexandria, an unidentified female saint, and a youthful angel. Executed by the Master of Hoogstraeten, an Antwerp-based painter linked to the early‑16th‑century Antwerp Mannerist circle, the work reflects the devotional imagery typical of the period.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, Mary, cradles the Christ Child on a stone bench, embodying maternal tenderness. Flanking her, Saint Catherine—identified by her traditional attributes—stands beside another female saint dressed in green, suggesting a shared intercessory role. The angel, offering a plate of fruit, may symbolize the abundance of divine grace.
Technique & Style
The composition employs chiaroscuro to model forms, giving the figures a three‑dimensional presence against a landscape background of trees, distant buildings, and water. Richly patterned garments and elaborate headpieces demonstrate the artist’s attention to textile detail, characteristic of Northern Renaissance visual language.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the workshop of the Master of Hoogstraeten, the painting originates from Antwerp, a hub of artistic production in the early 1500s. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work aligns with the religious commissions typical of the artist’s output during his active years.
Context
The piece belongs to a broader Flemish tradition that merged Gothic devotional motifs with emerging Renaissance naturalism. Its inclusion of multiple saints and an angel reflects the period’s penchant for complex, multi‑figure sacred scenes intended for private contemplation or chapel display.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
The Master of Hoogstraeten (c. 1475 – c. 1530) is the Notname given to a Flemish painter or a collective of painters active in Antwerp in the early 16th century. The master created principally religious paintings and is…
Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and Barbara
Madonna and Child with Sts Catherine and Barbara
Calvary![Altarpiece showing scenes from the Infancy of Christ: The Adoration of the Magi [center]; The Annunciation; The Presentation of Christ in the Temple; The Flight into Egypt; The Nativity [clockwise from upper left], by Master of Hoogstraeten](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/master-of-hoogstraeten--altarpiece-showing-scenes-from-the-infancy-of-christ-the-ado--6a236bfea3373486-w320.webp)
Altarpiece showing scenes from the Infancy of Christ: The Adoration of the Magi [center]; The Annunciation; The Presentation of Christ in the Temple; The Flight into Egypt; The Nativity [clockwise from upper left]
Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome
The Seven Sorrows of Mary
Oda Stecke
The Bearing of the Cross and the Flight into Egypt
The mystic marriage of Saint Catherine
Virgin of the Rose Garden
Madonna and Child with Angels
Virgin and Child with Saint Margaret and Dorothy and angels playing music
Enthroned Virgin and Child, with Angels
Madonna with Angels
The Virgin and Child with Four Holy Virgins
Madonna with Female Saint
Triptych of Madonna and Child with Angels; Donor and His Patron Saint Peter Martyr; and Saint Jerome and His Lion