On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P00497
- Author
- Veronese, Paolo (Italian)
- Title
- The Martyrdom of Saint Mena
- Chronology
- Ca. 1580
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 248 cm x 182 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- Yes
- Entrance
- COLECCION REAL
- Procedence
- Royal Collection
Saint Mena extends his arms and
raises his gaze to Heaven, refusing
to worship the graven idol
presented to him at the left of the
composition. As a result, he was
martyred and decapitated. His
suffering occurred in the year 296,
under the rule of Diocletian. It is
indicated here by the sword held by
the person who has seized the
saint, and by the pliers in the
basket, which were used to pull out
his eyes. This Egyptian saint was
adopted as the patron saint of the
Coptic Christians, who are
predominately in Egypt.
The composition of this scene is
derived from the Martyrdom of Saint
George in the Church of San Giorgio
in Braida (Verona), which is the
source of both the placement of the
moment in front of a pagan altar,
and the physiognomy of the
characters.
The IV Admiral of Castile gave this
work to Felipe IV (1605-1665), who
sent it to the Monastery of El
Escorial. From there, it entered
the Prado Museum collection in
1837.
Location on the map
