(Solofra 1611–1651 Gravina)
Saint Catherine (?),
oil on canvas, 76.5 x 61.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private Collection, Naples

We are grateful to Riccardo Lattuada for suggesting the attribution to Francesco Guarino after examining the present painting in the original.

The martyr saint represented in the present painting is likely to be Saint Catherine of Alexandria. She is shown with her gaze turned in contemplation of the dove of the Holy Spirit. The palette of the pale colouring of the saint’s features, enlivened by the delicate rose of her cheeks and the pastel tones of her robes is typical of the mature style of Francesco Guarino, from around 1640.

The painter trained in the studio of his father Giovanni Tommaso Guarino in his native city, Solofra, and then went to Naples, where he worked under Massimo Stanzione. In paintings of half-length female figures, such as the present composition, Guarino rises to the challenge of Stanzione and Bernardo Cavallino’s influence. His pictorial language evolved in search not only of original compositional solutions, but also of a refined sensuality, which resolves itself in languidly posed figures, often represented half-length and turned to a three-quarter view.

The saint in the present painting is depicted with an intensity of expression heightened by her lustrous reddened eyes turned heavenwards, in an appearance of devout attendance. The present painting can be compared to other works by the artist, such as the Saint Barbara in a private collection (see R. Lattuada, Francesco Guarino da Solofra nella pittura napoletana del Seicento (1611–1651), Naples 2000, pp. 186-188, no. E14).