Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine and the Christ Child c. 16th century

Curator: This drawing, held in the Harvard Art Museums, is called “Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine and the Christ Child,” attributed to Girolamo Sicciolante da Sermoneta. Editor: It has such a fluid, ethereal quality. The figures almost seem to float across the page, drawn in delicate strokes. Curator: Yes, the materiality here is fascinating. It is a preparatory sketch, an insight into the artist's process. We see the artist working through their composition. Editor: It feels like a dream, a whispered secret caught on paper. I'm drawn to the upper register, that swirling mass of heavenly figures. Curator: It's a glimpse behind the curtain, isn't it? A chance to see the labor, the intention behind the divine representation. The red chalk lines reveal the artist's hand, the very process of creation. Editor: Indeed, the very imperfections make it feel so alive and immediate. It hints at something beyond the material world. Curator: Yes. Thinking about the context makes the drawing even more meaningful. Editor: Absolutely. I love the tension between the drawing's raw, unfinished quality and the grand, spiritual narrative it suggests.