Artwork
The Martyrdom of a Saint
The Martyrdom of a Saint is an ink print by the Renaissance artist French 16th Century. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
This woodcut shows a saint kneeling while soldiers raise swords to chop off his head.
This woodcut shows a saint kneeling while soldiers raise swords to chop off his head. Blood sprays in a thin, sharp line across the page. The saint’s face stays calm, almost peaceful.
The odd thing here is the date under the saint’s feet: 1570. Yet this print was made in 1968 from the old block. Someone dug up the worn woodcut and printed it again centuries later.
Look up the technique called woodcut next.
Overview
The Martyrdom of a Saint is a print made from a woodcut, reprinted in 1968 from an original block.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a kneeling saint about to be beheaded by soldiers, with a calm expression on his face. The scene is marked by a thin line of blood spraying across the page.
Technique & Style
The print is a woodcut, a technique where a design is carved into a wooden block, which is then used to print the image.
History & Provenance
The original woodblock was likely created before 1570, the date visible under the saint's feet. The block was rediscovered and reprinted nearly four centuries later, in 1968.
Artist & collection
Artist
A French artist of the 1500s made metal sculptures and prints. One is a bronze portrait of François de Mandelot, governor of Lyon, dated 1572; another a bronze Virgil dangling in a basket, cast in the early 1500s. The…
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