The Miraculous Translation of the Body of Saint Catherine of Alexandria to Sinai, by Karl von Blaas, 1860, oil on canvas - Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University - DSC01189

Exhibit in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This artwork is in the public domain because the artist died more than 70 years ago.

St. Catherine of Alexandria was a 4th-century Christian martyr and saint. According to tradition, she was a learned and beautiful woman who converted to Christianity and became a noted defender of the faith. She was imprisoned and subjected to various tortures, including being broken on a wheel, but survived. She is said to have converted the emperor Maxentius to Christianity before her ultimate execution. St. Catherine is the patron saint of philosophers, students, and preachers and is venerated by the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Coptic Churches.