Saint Catherine of Siena Exchanging Her Heart with Christ 1417 - 1482

Giovanni di Paolo painted "Saint Catherine of Siena Exchanging Her Heart with Christ" using tempera and gold leaf on wood, sometime in the 15th century. The jewel-like quality owes a great deal to the materials. The gold, applied in delicate leaf form, doesn't just represent divinity; it reflects light, creating a sense of ethereal glow. Tempera, made from pigment bound with egg yolk, gives the painting its characteristic matte finish and allows for fine detail, evident in the delicate features of Saint Catherine and Christ. But let's think about the labor involved. Grinding pigments, preparing the wood panel, and meticulously applying gold leaf were all highly skilled, time-intensive processes. The value wasn't just in the materials, but in the expertise required to transform them. Considering the social context, these paintings served as powerful visual aids for religious devotion. But they were also luxury goods, commissioned by wealthy patrons and produced by workshops operating under a clear division of labor. Examining the materials, the making process, and the social context allows us to appreciate not only the beauty of the artwork, but also the complex web of human effort and economic forces that brought it into being.