# Traces of polychromy

On the limestone, traces of polychromy and gilding are visible on the crown, the wheel, the pommel of the sword and the emperor's crown. One can imagine that on this type of representation, the sculpture was entirely painted, enhancing the verisimilitude and emotional charge of the devotion. The polychromy on this sculpture aids narrative hierarchization, highlighting the important elements involved in St. Catherine's martyrdom.