''Landscape with the Burial of St. Serapia'' is a 1639–40 painting by
Claude Lorrain
Claude Lorrain (; born Claude Gellée , called ''le Lorrain'' in French; traditionally just Claude in English; c. 1600 – 23 November 1682) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher of the Baroque era. He spent most of his life in It ...
, one of several commissioned from the artist by
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered f ...
and now in the
Prado Museum
The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the ...
. it shows the burial of
Saint Serapia
Serapia was a Roman saint, a slave and martyr, also called Seraphia or Seraphima of Syria.
Serapia was born at Antioch in the late 1st century, of Christian parents. Fleeing the persecution of Emperor Hadrian, she went to Italy and settled the ...
, slave to
Saint Sabina
Saint Sabina was a saint and martyr of the early church. Her feast day is 29 August. She lived and suffered martyrdom at the beginning of the 2nd century in Rome.
Narrative
Sabina was the daughter of Herod Metallarius and the wealthy widow of Se ...
– the lid of the sarcophagus is shown with the inscription ''SEPVLTVRA.S.SABIN (a)... SEPELIR(e) IVBET.C.SANCTAE SERAPI(ae)''. Her martyrdom occurred in Vindena, now known to have been sited near
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
, although at the time the painting was produced it was thought to be located on the
Aventine Hill
The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome.
Location and boundaries
The Aventine Hill is the sou ...
(hence the
Basilica of Santa Sabina).
{{17C-painting-stub
category:Landscape paintings
category:1640 paintings
category:Paintings by Claude Lorrain
category:Paintings of the Museo del Prado by French artists