The vision of the Colosseum. The last martyr
1885. Oil on canvas.On display elsewhere
This painting, in which Saint Telemachus is the main figure, is a work of more than thirty-five square metres. Saint Telemachus is a fourth-century Christian martyr who, through personal intervention, sought to put an end to the gladiatorial fights that took place in the Flavian Amphitheatre. The scene, set in an already ruined Colosseum, shows the appearance of the Saint carrying a cross. The crowd is gathered around him, creating a spectral vision of accentuated drama. The artist submitted the painting to the 1887 National Exhibition of Fine Arts, and although it was awarded a first-class medal and was acquired by the State, it received adverse reviews describing it as incomprehensible.
