Otto van Veen (1556-1629), The Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine

Mary sits in a forest at the foot of a retaining wall, above which mighty trees rise. On the right, St. Catherine kneels in veneration with her eyes humbly lowered to become engaged to Christ. The baby Jesus holds the wedding ring in his hand and looks childishly at his mother to get her attention before he puts the ring on Catherine's finger. Behind the playful scene lies the allegory of the mystical wedding, the union of the soul with God. Two putti fly down from above to place a ring of flowers on Catherine, the bride of Christ. On the left, St. Francis kneels devoutly with his arms crossed in front of his chest in the habit of the Capuchins. Behind the group, St. Joseph watches the events. Catherine's attributes, the wheel and the sword, are lying on the ground. The painting is a reduced version of an altarpiece that Otto van Veen painted in 1589 for the Capuchin monastery church (now in the Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels). The very high painterly quality of the execution and stylistic similarity to the altarpiece suggest that the present painting can be attributed to Otto van Veen himself. Oil on panel 93.5 × 70 cm.