Painting in the Chapel

Commissioned by Margarite Harris of ST KARIN:  The picture of St Catherine of Sweden is a (gouache?) cartoon by Jean Lurçat.  The money to turn it into a finished tapestry never materialized.  It shows the traditional image of St. Karin, first abbess of Vadstena, dressed in the full habit and accompanied by a deer. 

The Story

When she joined her mother in Rome, St. Karin was still a married woman, blond and very beautiful.  She attracted the attention of a young Roman nobleman, who gathered a group of friends and planned to kidnap her as she walked to the pilgrimage churches.  Just as they began to ride toward her, a beautiful deer crossed before them and they chased after it, giving Birgitta and her daughter a chance to escape. 

Notes from Dr. Albert Ryle Kezel