Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine (Correggio, Naples)

Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine is a c.1520 oil on panel painting by Correggio, now in the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples.

It is mentioned in an inventory of the goods of Barbara Sanseverino dated 27 April 1596 as "a painting by Correggio, called the Marriage of Saint Catherine, small but rejoicing in extreme beauty".

Instead it was requested by Odoardo Farnese in Rome - Correggio's reputation was then at its peak thanks to the popularity of the Carracci brothers and their school.

In either case, a copy of the painting definitely stayed in Rome and belonged to Lelio Guidiccioni, a man of letters.

A copy of the painting is now in the Hermitage Museum and - according to an engraving of it by Moette - it has an inscription on the back reading “Laus Deo, per Donna Mathilda d'Este Antonio Lieto da Correggio fece il presente quadretto per sua divozione.