2012.01.12 | 12 January 2012
パオロ・ヴェロネーゼ（本名パオロ・カリアーリ） [ヴェローナ, 1528年 - ヴェネツィア, 1588年]
聖カタリナの神秘の結婚
| 制作年 | 1547年頃 |
|---|---|
| 材質・技法・形状 | 油彩、カンヴァス |
| 寸法（cm） | 84 x 100 |
| Standard ref. | Pignatti/Pedrocco 13 |
| 分類 | 絵画 |
| 所蔵番号 | P.1994-0001 |
作品解説
本作品は、ヴェロネーゼがいまだ故郷のヴェローナで活動していた、初期の頃の制作になるものである。中央に幼児キリストを抱く聖母マリアが描かれ、右側にアレクサンドリアの聖カタリナがひざまづく。背後には、ふたりの女性を仲立ちするような形で、マリアの夫である聖ヨセフがひかえている。左下には、十字架をもった洗礼者ヨハネが幼児の姿で描かれ、その傍らには将来のキリストの受難を象徴する仔羊が横たわっている。 この場面は、聖女がキリストと神秘的な結婚を結んだというエピソードを表している。カタリナ（伊＝カテリーナ）は4世紀はじめに殉教したとされる初期キリスト教の聖女。エジプトのアレクサンドリアの王家の出身だったが、キリストの教えに帰依して洗礼を受け、その後キリストと結婚する幻を見た。ローマ皇帝マクセンティウスは美貌の王女カタリナを花嫁に迎えようと試みるが、すでに「キリストの花嫁」である聖女はこれを拒絶する。皇帝は50人の哲学者をカタリナのもとに送り込み、議論によってキリスト教の教えを棄てさせようとするが、彼らはカタリナの学識によって論破され、逆に洗礼を受けてキリスト教徒になる。激怒した皇帝は迫害に転じ、聖女は最後には斬首されて殉教した。神との深い内的な結びつきを象徴する「神秘の結婚」の主題は、遅くとも14世紀に遡る伝説に基づいており、とりわけイタリア・ルネッサンス絵画にしばしば描かれた。この聖女の人気は、高貴な血筋に生まれ深い信仰と高い教養をあわせもつカタリナが、ルネッサンス女性のひとつの理想像だったからといえる。 画面左上には対をなした2つの紋章が描き込まれている。楯形の縁取りの中に、左側に白い塔のような建物、右側に緑の葉を繁らせた樹が収まっている。前者はデッラ・トルレ家（トルレ＝「塔」）、後者はピンデモンテ家（ピンデモンテ＝「山上の松」）の紋章で、ともにヴェローナの有力貴族であり、この作品は1547年に両家の間に結ばれた結婚を記念して描かれたものだった。（出典: 国立西洋美術館名作選. 東京, 国立西洋美術館, 2006. cat. no. 19）
展覧会歴
- 1999
- エルミタージュ美術館所蔵イタリア・ルネサンス美術展─フィレンツェとヴェネツィア: 開館40周年記念特別展, 国立西洋美術館, 1999年3月20日-1999年6月20日, cat. no. 53
文献歴
- 1988
- Rearick, W. R. The Art of Paolo Veronese (exh. cat.), Washington D. C., 1988, p. 34, (mentioned under no. 6, as Giambattista Zelotti).
- 1991
- Pignatti, T.; Pedrocco, F. Veronese: Catalogo completo dei dipinti. Firenze, 1991, p. 33, no. 13.
- 1995
- Gisolfi, D. A New Early Veronese in Tokyo. The Burlington Magazine. vol. 137, no. 1112, Nov. 1995, pp. 742-746.
- 1995
- Pignatti, T.; Pedrocco, F. Veronese. Milano, 1995, no. 12.
- 1997
- 国立西洋美術館年報. Nos. 29-30 (April 1994-March 1996), 1997, 越川倫明. 新収作品. pp. 9-11, 新収作品一覧. p. 37, col. repr.
Paolo Veronese (Paolo Caliari) [Verona, 1528 - Venice, 1588]
The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine
| Date | c. 1547 |
|---|---|
| Materials/Techniques | oil on canvas |
| Size (cm) | 84 x 100 |
| Credit Line | Purchased |
| Standard ref. | Pignatti/Pedrocco 13 |
| Category | Paintings |
| Collection Number | P.1994-0001 |
This painting, produced while Veronese was still active in his birthplace of Verona, is thought to have been created during the painter's early period. The Virgin Mary is shown holding the Christ Child in the center of the composition. To their right kneels St. Catherine of Alexandria. In the background, Mary's husband Joseph is seen drawing back after interceding between the two women. In the lower left, the infant St. John the Baptist holds a cross, while a lamb lies next to him, symbolizing Christ's future Crucifixion. This scene shows the episode in which the saint is mystically married to Christ. Catherine was an early Christian martyr who lived at the beginning of the 4th century. Born of the royal family of Alexandria, Egypt, she was converted to Christianity, was baptized, and later had a vision of being married to Christ. The Roman Emperor Maxentius sought the beautiful princess in marriage, but she refused, stating that she was already the "bride of Christ." The emperor sent 50 philosophers to Catherine, and through their arguments sought to strip her of her faith in Christianity. Their arguments, however, were overturned by Catherine's learning, and conversely, the philosophers were all baptized as Christians. The emperor was incensed and ordered that Catherine be tortured; finally she was martyred by beheading. The subject of the "mystic marriage" symbolizing a deep internal relationship with God is based on legends dating back as far as the 14th century, and the subject frequently appears in Italian Renaissance painting. The popularity of this saint rests on the fact that she was of high birth, and yet was deeply faithful and extremely learned. These features all formed an ideal example for women during the Renaissance. Two families' emblems are combined in a coat of arms painted in the upper left of the composition. Inside a shield-shaped frame on the left side there is a white tower-like structure, while the right side of the shield contains a tree covered with green leaves. The former refers to the Della Torre (torre = tower) family, while the latter refers to Pindemonte family (Pindemonte = pines on a mountain). These two were both powerful Veronese aristocratic families and it is thought that this painting was created to commemorate a wedding between the two families in 1547.(Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no. 19)
Provenance
Private Collection, Switzerland.
Exhibition History
- 1999
- Florence and Venice: Italian Renaissance Paintings and Sculpture from the State Hermitage Museum, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 20 March 1999 - 20 June 1999, cat. no. 53
Bibliography
- 1988
- Rearick, W. R. The Art of Paolo Veronese (exh. cat.), Washington D. C., 1988, p. 34, (mentioned under no. 6, as Giambattista Zelotti).
- 1991
- Pignatti, T.; Pedrocco, F. Veronese: Catalogo completo dei dipinti. Firenze, 1991, p. 33, no. 13.
- 1995
- Gisolfi, D. A New Early Veronese in Tokyo. The Burlington Magazine. vol. 137, no. 1112, Nov. 1995, pp. 742-746.
- 1995
- Pignatti, T.; Pedrocco, F. Veronese. Milano, 1995, no. 12.
- 1997
- Annual bulletin of the National Museum of Western Art. Nos. 29-30 (April 1994-March 1996), 1997, . New Acquisitions. pp. 9-11, List of New Acquisitions. p. 37, col.repr.