Martyrdom of a saint
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 20 1/2 in. × 11 in. (52.1 × 27.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.2870
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Behold the dramatic *Martyrdom of a Saint* (1693), a striking etching produced through the collaboration of three masters: Italian engraver and publisher Domenico De Rossi, Buonaventura Lamber, and French engraver Nicolas Dorigny. Measuring a generous 20½ × 11 inches (trimmed), this print captures the intense emotion of religious martyrdom, a hallmark of late Baroque art. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it the collection via The Elisha Whittelsey Fund in 1951. Etching, the medium here, allowed for intricate lines and tonal depth by biting acid into a metal plate—a technique prized in the 17th century for reproducing sculptures and paintings with remarkable fidelity. Likely inspired by Lamberti's sculptural designs, the work reflects the era's Counter-Reformation fervor, where vivid depictions of saints' sacrifices inspired devotion amid Catholic-Protestant tensions. Dorigny's precise engraving and De Rossi's publishing expertise elevated it as a vehicle for disseminating sacred imagery across Europe. This print not only showcases technical virtuosity but also the interconnected world of European artists, blending Italian drama with French elegance. A window into 17th-century piety, it invites visitors to ponder the saint's timeless endurance.
About the Artist
Domenico De Rossi|Buonaventura Lamberti|Sir Nicolas Dorigny (Flemish|Italian) · 1649 |1647 –1696 |1729
Flemish, Antwerp 1649 or 1658–after 1696|Italian, 1647–1729