[2][3] The painting is a representation of Catherine, the daughter of King Costus of Alexandria, who defied the emperor Maxentius with her staunch defense of her Christian faith.

[4] She is portrayed in a striking red gown with gold embellishment, holding the martyr's palm frond and wearing an elaborate gem-encrusted crown.

While there is no clear evidence to identify a date for this painting, art historians believe it was created during the artist's time in Florence, when Caterina de' Medici was in residence.

Tracings from the National Gallery's Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria were compared to this underpainting and the study concluded that Gentileschi used the same cartoon or preparatory drawings for both of these images.

[3] The final painted image is thought to represent a real person, according to art historians, and may depict Caterina de' Medici, Maria Maddalena of Austria or the artist herself.