Giovanni Francesco Penni - Holy Family with St. John the Baptist and St. Catherine of Alexandria - M.Ob.601 MNW - National Museum in Warsaw

Holy Family 

St. Catherine of Alexandria was a 4th-century Christian martyr and saint. According to tradition, she was a learned and beautiful woman who converted to Christianity and became a noted defender of the faith. She was imprisoned and subjected to various tortures, including being broken on a wheel, but survived. She is said to have converted the emperor Maxentius to Christianity before her ultimate execution. St. Catherine is the patron saint of philosophers, students, and preachers and is venerated by the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Coptic Churches.