The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus

1480/1490

French 15th Century

Associated Names
French 15th Century

Artist

This is a painting of a historical judicial scene with an execution taking place. The image depicts a group of figures in medieval attire, gathered around a central figure with a crown, suggesting he is a person of authority, sitting on a throne. Surrounding him are advisors or witnesses, listening intently. Below, a recumbent person bound and in the process of being executed by another figure is portrayed. The architecture and detailing reflect a setting of power and governance, with intricate window designs and pillars. The upper section of the painting displays a divine or religious figure encircled by what appears to be a heavenly aura, observing the proceedings from above. The use of earthy colors and the linear style are characteristic of medieval art. This is in the style of an anonymous medieval manuscript illumination.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut, hand-colored in light purple, rose, gray-green, yellow, brown, and gray-blue

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 28.5 × 21.2 cm (11 1/4 × 8 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.603

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Schreiber, no. 1410

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Martin Aufhäuser [1875-1944], Munich, Holland, and Los Angeles; [1] Lessing J. Rosenwald, Jenkintown, PA; gift to NGA, 1943.
[1] For complete information on Aufhäuser's collection, see Rosenwald Papers, box 9, and Richard S. Field, Fifteenth Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts, Washington, D.C., 1965, Preface (np).

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1941

  • The First Century of Printmaking 1400-1500, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1941, no. 28, repro.

1953

  • The Story of Medicine in Art, Milwaukee Art Institute, 1953, no. 155.

1955

  • French Woodcuts, Engravings and Books of the 15th and Early 16th Centuries, The Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, 1955.

1956

  • Selected Prints from the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, City Art Museum, St. Louis, MO, 1956.

1962

  • The Saints in Prints & Illuminations from the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, The Art Gallery of the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 1962-1963, no. 41.

1965

  • Fifteenth-Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art, NGA, 1965-1966, no. 222, repro.

  • Selected 15th Century Prints from the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, National Gallery of Art, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 1965, no. 27.

Bibliography

1926

  • Schreiber, Wilhelm Ludwig. Handbuch de Holz- und Metailschnitte des XV Jahrhunderts. 8 vols. Leipzig: Verlag Karl W. Hierseman, 1926-1930.

1965

  • Field, Richard S. Fifteenth Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. Exh. cat. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1965: no. 222.

Wikidata ID

Q64953056

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