top of page
Rainey Knudson

54. Giovanni di Paolo, Saint Catherine and Saint John the Baptist

Giovanni di Paolo, Saint Catherine and Saint John the Baptist, c. 1435–1440. Tempera and gold leaf on wood. Each panel approx. 41 × 18 inches.


They were originally high up on an altar, so their congregants would never have experienced our intimate gallery view. Catherine, serene and composed, is the patron of scholars and maidens, a whisperer to Joan of Arc. The Baptist is the wild, anguished voice crying in the wilderness, rallying crowds to prepare the way for the Messiah. They lived centuries apart, but they look—heretically, perhaps—like a pair of lovers, ancient old souls who have been through the wars. They’ve both seen it all, endured it all, and they catch each other’s eyes with focused intensity, heedless of our observation.




 

To receive a weekly summary of the MFAH 100 series rather than a daily email, please subscribe on my Substack blog The Impatient Reader.

Sign up to receive a notification when a new Impatient Reader is published.

Thanks for subscribing!

IR post subscribe form
bottom of page