A large (5.33m x 3.42m) altarpiece painted by Domenichino for the Church of St. Agnese in Bologna, and now in the Pinacoteca Nazionale there. The clouds of the upper part of the picture open to angels and the eternity of heaven. Below is the world and the martyrdom of St. Agnes. After she had refused the advances of the son of a Roman magistrate, St. Agnes was paraded naked through the streets, but her nakedness was covered by a miraculous growth of a hair, and by a divine garment. Those who tried to burn her were themselves burned by the fire, so she was beheaded - and the picture shows the moment at which the sword is raised.
Domenichino's mid-nineteenth-century reputation in the middle of the nineteenth century was more mixed in its assessments of his invention, feeling for nature, colouring, and theatricality.
For a more recent analysis of Domenichino and his work see Spear, Domenichino.
Domenico Zampieri (Domenichino) 1581-1641
Martyrdom of St. Agnes n.d.
Oil on canvas, 533x342cm
Provenance: Painted for the Church of St. Agnese in Bologna, later moved to the national gallery of Bologna
Collection: National Gallery, Bologna
We regret that an image could not be located for this artistic work