Title

Saints Sebastian and Catherine of Alexandria. Fragment of an altarpiece from the church of San Pablo, Palencia

painter

Mateu, Jaume [attributed to] (Active in Valencia between 1402-1452)

Generic classification

Object

Date

Century

Cultural context / style

Dimensions

Material

Technique

Iconography / Theme

Provenance

Current location

Inventory Number in Current Collection

Object history

This panel was part of an altarpiece dedicated to Saint Ursula and the eleven thousand virgins. Thanks to a photograph belonging to the Ruiz Vernacci Archive, Post (1933) and Pérez and Rodríguez (1995) were able to confirm that it was located inside the convent of San Pablo de Palencia in 1879. Shortly thereafter it must have been dismantled and dismembered. At present the altarpiece is scattered in different museums and collections:

• Four panels from the upper part are in the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid(Arrival in England of Saint Ursula, Request for the hand of Saint Ursula, The King of England is informed of the proposal of Saint Ursula, Baptism of Conan in the presence of Saint Ursula and his father).
• Four others are in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Liverpool(St. Ursula preaches to the eleven thousand virgins, St. Ursula and eleven thousand virgins arrive in Rome, St. Ursula before the king of the Huns, The martyrdom of the eleven thousand Virgins).
• Two of them are in the Zorn Museum, in Mora(St. Bartholomew and St. Mary Magdalene).
• Four figures of saints from the predella are in the Philadelphia Museum of Art(Saints Sebastian and Catherine of Alexandria and Saints Margaret and Bartholomew).
• Finally, four other panels are unaccounted for.

The panel of Saints Sebastian and Catherine of Alexandria was located in the predella of the altarpiece along with five other images. This piece was acquired by John G. Johnson at the end of the 19th century, possibly on one of his trips through Europe (Prieto, 2020). The American lawyer bequeathed the painting to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1917, where it is preserved today.

Description

This piece belonged to the predella of the altarpiece. It is divided into two panels where two saints are represented: Saint Sebastian and Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

Saint Sebastian appears in the left panel. He is richly attired, which differs slightly from his traditional iconography where he usually appears half-naked and tied to a tree or column. He holds in his right hand his attribute: an arrow; symbol of his martyrdom. The sword he holds in his other hand also alludes to his role as soldier and martyr.

Saint Catherine occupies the right panel and is identifiable by the two attributes she holds: the sword with which she was beheaded and the cogwheel, the instrument of her martyrdom. She also appears sumptuously dressed.

Locations

• XV^th c. - Last quarter of the XIX^th c.

  church

  Church of San Pablo, Palencia, Palencia (Spain)

• Last quarter of the XIX^th c. - 1917

  private collection

  John G. Johnson, Filadelfia (United States) *

• ca. 1917 - present

  museum

  Philadelphia Museum of Art, Filadelfia (United States)