The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence - Essay Example ning a space, luminosity can become used to emphasize on the focal point of space and bring out the elements of union, harmony, and balance within a space. Undertaken between 1628 and 1632, ‘the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence’ is a painting by the Italian baroque artist Massimo Stanzione who was mainly active in Naples (BBC, 2015). The painting depicts the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence of Rome in the third century who got killed by roasting over a hot gridiron. Saint Lawrence of Rome, a 3rd century archdeacon was martyred in 258 A.D (Archer, 2012). under Emperor Valerian’s persecution of Christians. Lawrence got persecuted for distributing the church’s assets to the poor instead of turning it over to the empire as instructed by the empire. The move angered the prefect responsible for collecting the church’s wealth that he asked for the immediate execution of Lawrence by roasting him on a gridiron warmed with hot coal. The painting is noted for its gruesome naturalistic element and rich color employed by Stanzione. Stanzione was revered for his use of rich color and idealized naturalism that he had a massive influence on other local artists. This gets captured effectively on his piece the ‘martyrdom of Saint Lawrence’. The ‘martyrdom of Saint Lawrence’ employs the technique of oil on canvas. Stanzione was greatly influenced by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. He combined Caravaggio’s dramatically lit and brutally realistic style with the classical and lyrical manner of Bolognesi painters (Kleiner, 2009). Stanzione had great mastery over religious art due to his vast altarpieces and frescoes. In ‘the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence’ painting, Stanzione captures an imposing nocturnal scene of the persecution of Saint Lawrence. The grisly nature of the piece gets captured by the emphasis of the dramatic light and shadow. To capture Lawrence’s martyrdom, Stanzione employs illumination by the divine light coming from the skies or heavens. At the