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The executioner prepares to strike the fallen saint while horrified witnesses flee in all directions, creating a violent vortex of bodies around the central act of martyrdom.
Significance
Part of the Contarelli Chapel cycle, this was Caravaggio's first monumental public commission. X-rays reveal he completely repainted the composition, developing his signature dramatic staging.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
323 cm × 343 cm
Location
Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, Italy