Francisco de Herrera the Elder
St. Catherine Appearing to the Prisoners

1629
Oil on canvas
Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina

The painting's title was provided by the authoritative Web Gallery of Art, but there is no account in the Golden Legend of any apparition by St. Catherine to prisoners. Most likely the two figures standing closest to Catherine are the emperor's wife and Porphyry, her "prince of knights," who visited her in prison and were converted by her preaching. The Golden Legend says they were accompanied by two hundred other knights, who also accepted the faith. A few of these are pictured on the left.

Are the queen and Porphyry in fact standing, in which case St. Catherine is drawn very much out of proportion, or are they kneeling? It is hard to tell.

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Source: this page at Wikimedia Commons.