Catherine of Alexandria (Kornaros)

Catherine of Alexandria is a tempera painting created by Ioannis Kornaros. Kornaros was probably a monk in Crete during the period the Ottoman Empire occupied it from (1667–1898). He was a student of Georgios Kastrofylakas, and both painters were influenced by the late Cretan School. There were some painters residing in Crete after the Ottoman occupation, including Michael Prevelis. Oriental themes influenced some of Kastrofylakas' works. Both artists were part of the Greek Neoclassical era and the Modern Greek Enlightenment in art. One of Kornaros' most notable works is a painting entitled Great Art Thou (Megas Ei Kyrie). The painter was active in Crete, Mount Sinai, and Cyprus. He died the same year the Greek War of Independence began. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, forty-eight of his paintings have survived.

An educated princess named Catherine lived in Alexandria, Egypt, from around 287 to 305 AD. Emperor Maxentius tortured Catherine because she converted hundreds of people to the new Christian faith. A spiked wheel was used in an attempt to put her to death, but it shattered upon touching her. She was ultimately beheaded. Therefore, she is often depicted in art as an educated woman with a spiked wheel. She died seven years before Constantine recognized the new Christian religion. Saint Catherine has been depicted in art since her canonization around the 4th century. Ieremias Palladas completed one of the most influential paintings of the figure for the iconostasis of Saint Catherine's Monastery in Mount Sinai, Egypt, called Saint Catherine of Alexandria . It became the prototype for Catherine of Alexandria and was copied by many painters. Kornaros traveled to Saint Catherine's sacred monastery in Egypt, also known as Mount Sinai, where he was exposed to the works of Palladas. Kornaros was one of the first to depict a Palladas-inspired Catherine as a youthful woman. A notable Greek work featuring a youthful Saint Catherine was completed by Georgios Klontzas in the 16th century, entitled Saint Catherine's Engagement. Kornaros' work can be found in Tuscany in the city of Livorno, Italy, at the Museo della Città di Livorno.