Saint Catherine of Alexandria in carved, polychromed and gil - Lot 119

Saint Catherine of Alexandria in carved, polychromed and gilded walnut Standing with one foot on the head of Emperor Maximilian, she holds an open book in her left hand. She wears a crown, a gown and a mantle with a front flap; her clothes are richly embellished with embroidery and pearls. Mosan region, Maastricht, workshop of Jan van Steffeswert, circa 1510-1520 H. 101 cm (wormholes and accidents) The richness of the ornamentation expressed on the garments invites us without hesitation to compare this sculpture with the works of the famous Limbourg master of the early Renaissance: Jan van Steffeswert (1470 - 1525). Strings of pearls, braids and embroidery form an almost exaggerated style that is recognizable in many museum pieces. Examples include the Holy Woman in the Bogdan and Varvara Khanenko Museum in Kiev, whose stone ornamentation is very similar, and Saint Catherine in the British Museum in London (inv no. 260), whose posture, crown and hair strands are identical. Lastly, the pastiglia decorations forming the orphreys on the edges of the cloak or dress are very similar to those found, in the same script, on the female saint in New York's Metropolitan Museum or Art (inv n° 06.163a-b) (fig).