Saint Catherine

The single saint shown in prayer, as seen here, was a common type of devotional image in the 1600s. St. Catherine lived in the 4th century and refused to marry the Roman emperor since she had pledged herself to Jesus as an early follower of Christianity. Tortured for her actions (shown in background at left), Catherine was first placed on a wheel, which miraculously broke, and was ultimately beheaded. She was typically depicted with a sword and broken wheel, the instruments of her martyrdom. This image is particularly striking since Léonard II Limousin’s use of silver foil, applied underneath the ground glass that formed the colored enamel, makes the plaque shimmer.