Gold Leaf and Oil on Wood (24” x 54”)
Creation Date: 1978
Artist: Brother Gebhard Fröhlich, SJ
Original Painting Location: The Church of St. Catherine of Siena, Metairie, LA
Description:
St. Catherine is seated on a throne-like chair before a slightly antiqued gold background. She holds a stalk of lilies in her right hand, symbols of her virginity, and in her left hand a bejeweled book, a symbol of her learning and wisdom. Her face resembles those of the Saints and Madonnas of the 13th – 14th Century Sienese Painting. However, her garments and attributes are realistic to show her relevance for our time.
Under the antiquated inscription, which reads “SANCTA CATHARINA SENENSIS – DOCTOR ECCLESIAE,” there are 4 scenes significant of her life:
- She cuts off her hair to make her unsuitable for marriage.
- She receives the wounds of Christ, the stigmata.
- She chooses a crown of thorns, a symbol of suffering and poverty,
rather than a golden one. - She holds the Pope’s tiara because she had persuaded Pope Gregory XI
to return to Rome after his exile in Avignon.
The bottom script line is in English: “St. CATHERINE OF SIENA – DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.”
