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Vincenzo Catena, 'A Warrior adoring the Infant Christ and the Virgin', after 1520

About the work

We do not know the origins of this mysterious painting. It has the wide rectangular shape typical of Venetian votive pictures made to thank the Virgin Mary or a patron saint.

The Virgin sits on a stone throne ornamented with sphinxes, symbolising wisdom, while Saint Joseph stands beside her. A warrior approaches the Virgin and Child on his knees, his right hand to his heart, his face in shadow. He wears European armour, but the silk of his headdress is from Islamic North Africa, the enamelled trappings of his horse from Islamic Spain, and his curved dagger and belt hanging on the wall are of Islamic style.

The image appears to be unique in showing a Muslim warrior kneeling in adoration before the Virgin and Child. The infant Christ raises his right hand in blessing while a page in Venetian costume stands behind the wall holding the warrior’s horse. The painting may commemorate the warrior’s conversion to Christianity or the hope for universal peace.

Key facts

Full title
A Warrior adoring the Infant Christ and the Virgin
Artist
Vincenzo Catena
Artist dates
active 1506 - 1531
Date made
after 1520
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
155.3 × 263.5 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1853
Inventory number
NG234
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

More works by Vincenzo Catena

Portrait of a Young Man
Portrait of a Young Man
Vincenzo Catena
An unidentified young man dressed plainly in black stares back at us from the canvas. He stands upright and motionless while behind him clouds race across the sky. The composition has been carefully centred so that a vertical line could be drawn straight down the bridge of his nose and through th...
Not on display
Portrait of the Doge, Andrea Gritti
Portrait of the Doge, Andrea Gritti
Vincenzo Catena
Andrea Gritti (1455–1538) was elected doge (head of the Venetian state) in 1523, and this painting was probably made soon afterwards. He wears his robes of office and on his left hand is a gold ring with a device representing the doge kneeling before Saint Mark, patron saint of Venice.Catena’s po...
Not on display
Saint Jerome in his Study
Saint Jerome in his Study
Vincenzo Catena
Saint Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin from Greek and Hebrew, is reading in his study, surrounded by books, an inkwell, an unlit candle and Crucifix. A lion, his traditional companion, lies on the ground near his creased slippers. The partridge may be associated with both truth and de...
Not on display
The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John
The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John
Probably by Vincenzo Catena
The Virgin looks away as the infant Christ leans forward to touch his cousin Saint John the Baptist under the chin. The presence of the infant Saint John suggests the influence of Florentine art, as he is rare in Venetian art before this date. There are several versions of this design which may d...
Not on display