Martyrdom of Saint Thomas (Rubens)
The Martyrdom of St. Thomas | |
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Národní Gallery, Prague |
The Martyrdom of Saint Thomas is an
Description
Ruben's The Martyrdom of Saint Thomas depicts the apostle the moment he is struck by a spear, causing his death. There are eleven figures present; five being angels, five being Brahmins, and the last is Thomas himself. Dressed in black and barefoot, Thomas clutches a stone cross[2] while reaching towards an angel handing him a palm frond.[1] There is a Brahmin behind him holding a dagger above Thomas and another coming towards him, about to hurl a rock at him. Behind them is a Roman styled domed building with spiral columns, a devil-like idol figure, and elephants heads. There are also two palm trees and in the space between the cross, Thomas, and the dark-skinned figure is waves from the sea. Originally, this painting was larger in size, with another palm tree and Brahmin figure.[3] When Prague's St. Thomas Church was severely damaged in 1723 by lighting, the church had to be reconstructed.[2] During this time, a frame was redesigned which caused it to be trimmed around on all sides.[3] The only known image of the original composition is a print based on the original engraved by Jacob Neeffs.[1][2]
Subject Matter
According to legend, Saint Thomas was a skilled architect and Apolostle, whom was called upon by the Lord to travel to India.[4] The king of India, Gundoferus, was seeking an architect to build him a Roman styled palace, a "mirabili palatio" (magnificent palace).[4] Although Saint Thomas was hesitant to go, the Lord promised to guide him safely and insisted it was Saint Thomas who would become a missionary for the "heathens".[4] Along with the promise of safety, God promised for Saint Thomas to join him in heaven through martyrdom.[4] Thomas soon went to India and was entrusted with funds to build the king a palace while he was away on a journey.[4] Instead, Thomas distributed the money among the people and begun his mission.[4] The king's brother, wanting a palace as well, summoned Thomas to work for him.[4] When Thomas refused, instead offering the kingdom of God, the king's brother sent for him to be found and tortured.[4] Thomas challenged the king's brother, announcing he would worship a pagan god, only if God did not destroy the idol in the same moment.[4] If God were to destroy it, the men sent to kill Thomas would have to convert to Christianity.[4] When Thomas began to bend down to worship the idol, it melted like wax.[4] Instead of converting, the Brahmins attacked Thomas in the name of their idol, killing him with a spear.[4]
Commission
Jan Svitavsky commissioned The Martyrdom of Saint Thomas alongside Saint Augustine at the seashore for the altar in the church.[2] Svitavsky commissioned both of these paintings serving his last period of office as the prior of Prague's Augustinian monastery.[1] Rubens was paid 945 guilders for this commission.[2]
Stylistic Choices
Rubens, never traveling to India himself, used a variety of influences and stories to create this painting. It is thought that Rubens used the story of Saint Thomas from the
Saint Thomas
According to
Brahmins
For the Indian figures, Rubens used the book India Orientalis to guide his portrayal.[2] In the book, Indian Brahmins are described to be in the same shape and proportion of the Europeans, with their only difference being religion and skin tone.[2][5] They are also describe to walk around almost nude, with cloth covering the groin area and turbans on their heads.[2][5] Rubens depicted the Brahmins very closely to how they are described in this book, with almost nude muscular shapes and cloth coverings.
Architecture
One of the most notable pieces of this painting is the use of architecture to support the story origins. Rubens painted
References
- ^ LCCN 2013039285.
- ^ .
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7148-1505-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-404-06770-0.
- ^ a b De Bry, Johann Theodor; De Bry, Johann Israel (1598). India Orientalis (3rd ed.).