plate no. 5810

The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine

Annibale Carracci, 1587

oil, canvasBaroquereligious paintingfiguresreligiousmarriageangelsbabyportrait

From the record

Institution: Museo di Capodimonte
Location: Museo di Capodimonte
Inception: 1587
Materials: oil paint

woman
mystic marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Wikipedia article Wikidata item Q97704183

from the sources

The painting is an oil on canvas by Annibale Carracci and is now in the Gallerie Nazionali di Capodimonte in Naples. en.wikipedia.org
“The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine is an oil painting on canvas executed c.1585 by the Italian painter Annibale Carracci, now in the Gallerie Nazionali di Capodimonte in Naples, Italy.”
The source dates the painting to around 1585. en.wikipedia.org
“The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine is an oil painting on canvas executed c.1585 by the Italian painter Annibale Carracci, now in the Gallerie Nazionali di Capodimonte in Naples, Italy.”
The composition and sfumato effect draw heavily on Correggio, especially his painting of the same subject now in the Louvre. en.wikipedia.org
“The composition and sfumato effect owe much to Correggio, particularly the latter's painting of the same subject now in the Louvre.”
A label on the back of the work shows it was part of the Farnese collection. en.wikipedia.org
“As shown by the label on the reverse, the work formed part of the Farnese collection, where it was mentioned by Carlo Cesare Malvasia (1678) and Giovanni Pietro Bellori (1672), with the latter stating that Carracci painted the work in Parma”

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the main figures and their positions.
step 02
Block in the background with dark, muted tones.
step 03
Begin painting the figures, starting with the larger shapes and gradually adding details.
step 04
Focus on accurately capturing the skin tones, using layers of thin paint.
step 05
Pay close attention to the drapery, rendering the folds and highlights.
step 06
Add the details of the faces, focusing on the eyes and mouths.
step 07
Refine the edges and blend the colors to create a soft, atmospheric effect.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the depth and realism.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre · ivory black

Mix skin tones by blending white, red, and yellow ochre, adding small amounts of umber for shadows. Achieve the dark background by mixing black with umber and a touch of red.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·portraiture
·blending

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Failing to accurately capture the proportions of the figures.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
→Not creating enough contrast between light and shadow.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (raw umber, burnt sienna, titanium white, cadmium red light, yellow ochre, ivory black)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags