The miracle of Saint Just, who stands at center holding his decapitated head in his hands with two onlookers
Medium
Engraving; second state of two
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 17 3/8 × 12 1/2 in. (44.2 × 31.8 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
51.501.7123
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of this dramatic 1639 engraving, *The Miracle of Saint Just*, the martyred saint stands triumphantly at center, cradling his own severed head in his hands—a vivid depiction of the early Christian legend where Justus of Beauvais, beheaded by Romans, miraculously rose to retrieve his head and proclaim his faith. Flanked by two awestruck onlookers, scene captures the raw intensity of divine intervention, a popular motif in Baroque religious art. Designed by the Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens, renowned for his exuberant Baroque style emphasizing movement, emotion, and Counter-Refor...
About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens|Frans van den Wyngaerde|Jan (Hans) Witdoeck · 1577–1640
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...