The Miraculous Communion of Saint Catherine of Siena 1417 - 1482

Editor: We're looking at "The Miraculous Communion of Saint Catherine of Siena" created sometime between 1471 and 1496 by Giovanni di Paolo. It's an oil painting, and something about the space feels so surreal, almost like a stage. What do you see in this piece that might tell us more about that feeling? Curator: The artist had a mind alive with dreams! Look at the spatial arrangement; it's not quite right, is it? Early Renaissance painters were still figuring out perspective, creating this compressed, otherworldly feel. And consider Saint Catherine's face-- that rapturous expression tells its own story. The gold leaf… it's practically alive! Editor: Alive? How so? Curator: The gold represents divine light, shimmering and connecting heaven and earth. It frames the mystical event; Christ Himself giving communion to St. Catherine. What's captivating is how Giovanni used that traditional element to evoke pure wonder. Doesn't that gold feel very medieval though? Editor: It does. Is this artist just reiterating old, well-worn tropes? Curator: Not exactly! Think of it as a bridge, keeping one foot in the past but stretching the other toward the Renaissance. He infuses new emotional intensity to the conventional religious narrative, creating a world filled with the artist’s distinctive signature. So you feel that distinctive pull and push, a truly in-between sensibility. Editor: It does have more depth now that you point it out. The combination of a spiritual scene with almost theatrical staging seems unique. Thanks for drawing that to my attention! Curator: My pleasure! Now I’m itching to dream up my own staged space of communion with art. Maybe with interpretive dance?