St Margaret of Antioch
by CANDID, Peter, Oil on panel, 51 x 34 cm
This panel depicting St Margaret of Antioch was painted while Candid was living in Florence, and it shows the strong influence of Vasari. According to legend, St Margaret was cast into prison by the governor or Antioch and was swallowed whole by the devil in the form of a dragon. Armed with a cross, she pierced its belly and split the monster open, allowing her to walk free. She was eventually beheaded.
The painting had a companion piece representing St Catherine of Alexandria whose cult was often linked to that of St Margaret’s.