Saint Catherine Converting the Scholars, c1480. Catherine of Alexandria was one of the most popular saints in medieval western Europe. Legend describes her as a wise and beautiful virgin of noble birth who was executed for being a Christian. This image and its two associated panels show Catherine confronting the Roman emperor, converting the learned pagans who were supposed to disprove her Christian beliefs, and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, confounding a second group of scholars sent to visit her in prison. The panels were once part of an altarpiece recounting the entire story of Catherine's martyrdom.