The Beheading of St Catherine

The first two pictures, dedicated to St Catherine, are in very poor condition; they show the saint appearing before Emperor Maxentius to condemn idolatry and her dispute with the philosophers summoned by the emperor and their conversion. These scenes are followed by the picture of an angel intervening to prevent Catherine’s torture on the wheel and the beheading of the saint. Both scenes have parallels in the St George cycle, here, however, an oriental milieu, seen in the physiognomies, head coverings, and scimitars, is emphasized still more.