The Madonnna and Child with St. Catherine
Circa 1200
Fresco
St. Catherine's Crypt
Church of Notre-Dame de Montmorillon, France
The Christ Child reaches out to place a crown of martyrdom on the saint's head. On the example of this image or ones like it, later artists had the child reach out from Mary's lap to place on the saint's finger the ring symbolizing her "mystical marriage" to the Savior.
The image uses neither the wheel nor the sword that will become familiar attributes in later works.
Read more about images of the Virgin and Child.
Read more about images of St. Catherine.
Source: Web Gallery of Art via this page at Wikimedia Commons.
