''The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence'' is a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

era oil painting by the Venetian artist

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italians, Italian (Republic of Venice, Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school (art), ...

, dated from 1558. It depicts the Ancient Romans' murder of

Saint Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. "Laurel wreath, laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the Persecution of Christians, perse ...

and was originally an altarpiece in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta dei Crociferi, although it is now in the church of

I Gesuiti The church of Santa Maria Assunta, known as I Gesuiti, is a religious building in Venice, northern Italy. It is located in the sestiere of Cannaregio, in Campo dei Gesuiti, not far from the Fondamenta Nuove. History According to some sourcesGian ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

Subject

Prior to Emperor Constantine's

Edict of Milan The Edict of Milan ( la, Edictum Mediolanense; el, Διάταγμα τῶν Μεδιολάνων, ''Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn'') was the February 313 AD agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Frend, W. H. C. ( ...

, which decreed tolerance of Christianity in 313,

religious persecution Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within soc ...

of Christians was common in

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...

. Saint Lawrence was appointed

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 257 AD by

Pope Sixtus II Pope Sixtus II ( el, Πάπας Σίξτος Β΄), also written as Pope Xystus II, was bishop of Rome from 31 August 257 until his death on 6 August 258. He was martyred along with seven deacons, including Lawrence of Rome, during the persecutio ...

. One year later, in 258 AD, Saint Lawrence, six other deacons, and Pope Sixtus II were

martyred A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

in a purge of Christians ordered by Roman Emperor Valerian. According to legend, Saint Lawrence was burned alive on a gridiron which became an influential image through posthumous portrayals of his death.

History

Titian's Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence was commissioned by the well-connected and wealthy Venetian couple Lorenzo Massolo and Elisabetta Querini as an

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

for the church of Santa Maria Assunta dei Crociferi. The church was destroyed during a suppression of the order of the Crociferi and the painting was moved to the new church of I Gesuiti in the early 18th century. It so impressed

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

that he commissioned a second version in 1567 for the basilica at

El Escorial El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ( es, Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio del Escorial (), is a historical residence of the King of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, u ...

Description

The moment of Saint Lawrence's death is depicted in chaotic darkness. The armor and bodies of the figures are shown reflecting the light emanating from the fire at the bottom of the painting and the light shining through the clouds from above. Titian uses the contrast between these two bright spots and the rest of the painting, which is shrouded in darkness, to accentuate Saint Lawrence's mostly naked form and his outstretched arm which is reaching upwards. Titian communicates the confusing mix of tragic violence and sublime sacrifice which accompany martyrdom by surrounding the well lit figure of Saint Lawrence, which appears to be frozen in time reaching towards heaven, with a turbulent mix of darkness. Titian's source was the

Golden Legend The ''Golden Legend'' (Latin: ''Legenda aurea'' or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in late medieval Europe. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary ...

whose depiction of Lawrence's death is closely mirrored in Titian's painting. It describes Lawrence being tortured by the Romans. He defies their demands that he renounce Christianity by referring to the holy light that protects him. This is reflected in Lawrence reaching towards the beam of light breaking through the clouds above him.

References

Works Cited

* Rosand, David (1997). ''Painting in Sixteenth-Century Venice'' (Revised ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 56.

ISBN The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency. An ISBN is assigned to each separate edition and ...

9780521562867. * Sherman, Allison (2013). "Murder and Martyrdom: Titian's Gesuiti "Saint Lawrence" as a Family Peace Offering". ''Artibus et Historiae''. 34 (68): 39–54.

ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs ...

0391-9064. * Jacobus, De Voragine, Approximately, William Caxton, and Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. Westminster, 20 Nov, 1483. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/48043527/.

Subject

History

Description

References

Works Cited

See also