This window (c1508) depicts key moments from the life and martyrdom of St Catherine of Alexandria, a learned noblewoman whose legend was widely celebrated in late-medieval Europe. The glazing, produced by a Rouen workshop in the early sixteenth century, follows the characteristic format of the Saint-Ouen cycles: tightly framed narrative scenes beneath elaborate Gothic canopies, enriched with vivid colour and detailed architectural settings.

At the left, Catherine is shown engaged in study or contemplation, the book before her emphasising her reputation for learning. A subsequent panel presents the famous disputation with the philosophers summoned by the emperor. Catherine, dressed in red and blue, stands or sits confidently while a cluster of scholars gather before her; their animated gestures suggest the debate in which, according to the legend, she confounded them with her arguments.

The central light contains the mystical vision in which Catherine is spiritually betrothed to Christ. The iconography follows the established convention: Catherine kneels or sits in adoration while Christ, accompanied by the Virgin or angels, extends a ring. The scene is set beneath an ornate canopy and conveys the interior, devotional character of the vision through its enclosed architectural space.

To the right, the narrative turns to Catherine’s martyrdom. One panel shows her being led to the torture of the breaking wheel, with executioners preparing the deadly device. The action is set outdoors, with a spare landscape indicating the place of punishment. The following panel depicts the destruction of the wheel, an angel intervening to shatter it, sending splintered fragments flying and overturning her tormentors. This dramatic episode is rendered with unusual dynamism, the composition conveying both movement and divine agency.

The final scene shows Catherine’s death, often by beheading, here represented with the saint kneeling or supported by attendant figures, her serene expression contrasting with the violence of the act. Angels may be present to receive her soul, completing the progression from earthly wisdom to heavenly reward.

Throughout the window, the richly painted canopies and the saturated reds, blues, and golds exemplify Rouen’s mature glass-painting tradition. The cycle offers a compact yet comprehensive visual biography of one of the most popular female saints of the Middle Ages, highlighting her learning, steadfast faith, and triumphant martyrdom.