Vier mannen trekken aan ledematen van heilige

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Antonio Tempesta (15651630), a prolific artist from Florence, was renowned for his dynamic etchings that captured religious, mythological, and equestrian scenes during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. This small yet striking etching, measuring 194 × 133 mm, titled *Vier mannen trekken aan ledematen vanige* ("Four Men Pulling on the Limbs a Saint"), vividly illustrates a moment of martyrdom. The composition likely draws from hagiographic traditions, emphasizing the saint's suffering amid violent torment, a common motif in Counter-Reformation art meant to inspire faith and devotio...

About the Artist

Antonio Tempesta · 1555–1630

Antonio Tempesta (1555–1630), known as 'Il Tempestino,' was a Florentine painter and printmaker whose extraordinary output of approximately 1,700 etchings made him one of the most influential printmakers of the early Baroque period. Born in Florence and trained under Santi di Tito and the Flemish master Joannes Stradanus, he enrolled in the Accademia del Disegno in 1576 before relocating to Rome i...