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Degolação dos Cinco Mártires de Marrocos

Francisco Henriques

1508

oil

panel

From the collection of National Museum of Ancient Art

Northern Renaissance Renaissance Religious Beheaded Head

Dominant colour

Degolação dos Cinco Mártires de Marrocos is a 1508 oil by Francisco Henriques, a Northern Renaissance work, depicting Beheaded Head, held at National Museum of Ancient Art.

Who painted this?: Francisco Henriques
When & what style?: 1508 · Northern Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Museum of Ancient Art

About this work

This painting depicts a gruesome scene of beheadings, with multiple figures gathered around the victims. The central figure is a man in white, his head severed and held in his hand as he stands over a pile of bodies. To his right, another man in red holds a sword, while two men in green and brown look on. In the background, a building and trees are visible under a blue sky. The artist's use of oil paint creates a vivid and detailed image, with the subjects' facial expressions and clothing rendered in intricate detail. The scene is set against a backdrop of everyday life, with the building and trees suggesting a sense of normalcy amidst the violence. To learn more about the artist's use of chiaroscuro, explore the works of Francisco Henriques.