St Catherine of Alexandria

This painting was originally planned as an image for private devotion and transformed by Lotto himself for public display in a church. Some scholars have remarked on the intensely portraitlike quality of the panel.

The Correggesque poetic grace of the image had been also remarked upon. Although it is not possible to confirm any contact with Correggio, the parallels between this painting and Correggio’s Portrait of a Gentlewoman in the Hermitage are tempting. Almost two decades later, Moretto da Brescia, whose esteem for the artist is well known, had this panel in mind when he painted his Salome.

The panel underwent several restorations between 1934 and 1984.