1008 - Mecheln zweites Viertel 16. Jahrhundert

Mecheln zweites Viertel 16. Jahrhundert Mecheln second quarter of the 16th century A limewood Figure of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Mechelen, second quarter 16th century The reverse flattened, with revealed polychromy over chalk ground.. The saint is depicted wearing a crown, holding an open book in her left hand and a sword in her right, flanked by a wheel and a half-figure of the Roman Emperor Maxentius, and striding across a terraced plinth. A five-pointed star, the Mechelen hallmark, is engraved on the centre of her back. The blade broken off just above the hilt in her hand; part of the wheel reattached. Height 80.8 cm. Provenance In a private collection in Belgium since 1991. Literature Cf. exh.-cat. Gegen den Strom. Meisterwerke niederrheinischer Skulptur in Zeiten der Reformation 1500 - 1550, Aachen 1996, no. 67f. This well-preserved and highly expressive sculpture follows in the tradition of the works of Henrik Douverman (1480-1543/44), whose depictions of women exude a similarly majestic presence. Whilst Douverman focused more on the aspect of the devotional figure, this Mechelen sculptor emphasises the character of the saint striding powerfully forwards over Emperor Maxentius, her gaze directed not downwards but straight ahead. Further works from the Belgian private collection will be offered at auction on Friday, 20 November 2026, in the afternoon.