She was the daughter of "a noble and prudent king" named Costus, "who reigned in Cyprus at the beginning of the third century," and "had to his wife a queen like to himself in virtuous governance."

Then arose a committee of lords and commons, petitioning her to allow them to seek some noble knight or prince to marry her and defend the kingdom.

Accordingly he summoned from divers provinces fifty masters "which surmounted all mortal men in worldly wisdom."

"And anon as this blessed virgin was set in this torment, the angel of the Lord brake the wheels by so great force that it slew four thousand paynims."

Estelle May Hurll notes, "Were this a modem picture, we should fancy it a young lady reading her favourite poet.

There is no sign of her royalty, and Hurll infers "that the picture represents her in those early days of girlhood before the cares of government were laid on the young shoulders.

"[4] The left arm rests on the rim of a wheel, making a support for the hand holding the book.

The reference is to that passage in the book of Revelation which describes the saints standing before the throne "with palms in their hands.

The story of the lovely young princess seems to have appealed to his imagination, and he has conceived an ideal figure for her character.

The modulations of light on the chin and neck, and the gradation in the shadow cast by the book on the hand, show Correggio's mastery of chiaroscuro.

[8] Several old copies after this painting elaborate the composition to show Saint Catherine kneeling either full-length or three-quarter length.

The same composition—Saint Catherine half-length, resting on a wheel and holding the palm of a martyr—is found in the work of several north Italian painters, including Cesare de Sesto,[a] Garofalo,[b] Dosso Dossi,[c] and Lorenzo Lotto.