05 works, Today, August 6th, is Saint Agapitus' day, his story thru art #218

Unknown artist

The martyrdom of Saint (Pope) Sixtus II and his deacons, 14th century

Emperor Valerian is shown directing the execution of Sixtus II, and his deacons

I have no further description of this artwork at this time

Agapitus and Felicissimus were two of the six deacons of Pope Sixtus II who were martyred with him on or about 6 August 258. These were times when a pope occupying the Roman throne, was known to choose death for the faith.

Fra Angelico

Saint Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs, between 1447 and 1450

Saints Stephan and Laurentius, scene: consecration of St. Laurentius to the deacon by the Pope Sixtus

Fresco

Vatican Pinacoteca

Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; c. 1395 – February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent".

 

He was known to contemporaries as Fra Giovanni da Fiesole and Fra Giovanni Angelico . In modern Italian he is called Beato Angelico; the common English name Fra Angelico means the "Angelic friar".

 

In 1982, Pope John Paul II proclaimed his beatificatio in recognition of the holiness of his life, thereby making the title of "Blessed" official. Fiesole is sometimes misinterpreted as being part of his formal name, but it was merely the name of the town where he took his vows as a Dominican friar, and was used by contemporaries to separate him from others who were also known as Fra Giovanni. 

 

Vasari wrote of Fra Angelico that "it is impossible to bestow too much praise on this holy father, who was so humble and modest in all that he did and said and whose pictures were painted with such facility and piety." More on Fra Angelico

When the holy archdeacon Laurence visited Pope Sixtus, whom they held in prison, he cried out with tears: “Whither art thou gone, father? Sixtus answered him: “Go, take the church treasury and distribute it to the poor and needy Christians.” Saint Laurence zealously did the bidding of the holy hierarch.

Bernardo Strozzi

St. Lawrence Distributing the Treasures of the Church, circa 1625

Oil on canvas

w157.5 x h118.1 cm

North Carolina Museum

Bernardo Strozzi, named il Cappuccino and il Prete Genovese (c. 1581 – 2 August 1644) was an Italian Baroque painter and engraver. A canvas and fresco artist, his wide subject range included history, allegorical, genre and portrait paintings as well as still lifes. Born and initially mainly active in Genoa, he worked in Venice in the latter part of his career. His work exercised considerable influence on artistic developments in both cities. He is considered a principal founder of the Venetian Baroque style. His powerful art stands out by its rich and glowing colour and broad, energetic brushstrokes. More on Bernardo Strozzi

Having heard that Pope Sixtus had been taken to trial with the deacons, Saint Laurence went there so as to witness their deed, and he said to the holy bishop: “Father, I have already fulfilled thy command, and distributed by hand thine treasury; forsake me not!” Hearing something about treasure, soldiers put him under guard, and the other martyrs were beheaded (6 August 258). The emperor locked up Saint Laurence in prison and ordered the chief jailer Hyppolitus to keep watch over him. In prison Saint Laurence with prayer healed the sick gathered together with him and he baptized many.

Astonished by this, the chief jailer Hyppolitus, himself believed and accepted Baptism from Saint Laurence together with all his household. Soon the archdeacon Laurence was again brought to the emperor and commanded to produce the hidden treasure. Saint Laurence answered: “Give me a period of three days, and I shalt show thee this treasure”. During this time the saint gathered up a crowd of the poor and the sick, who ate only because of the charity of the Church, and bringing them he explained: “Here are the vessels in which is contained the treasure. And everyone, who puts their treasure in these vessels, will receive them in abundance in the Heavenly Kingdom”.

Orazio Borgianni, (1574–1616)

Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, c. 1610-1612

Oil on canvas

170 x 125 cm

Current location

Museo de la Real Colegiata

Orazio Borgianni (6 April 1574 – 14 January 1616) was an Italian painter and etcher of the Mannerist and early-Baroque periods. 

Borgianni was born in Rome, where he  was instructed in the art of painting by his brother, Giulio Borgiani. The patronage by Philip II of Spain induced him to visit that Spain. He returned to Rome from Spain in 1605 at the height of his career. 

In Rome he was patronized by the Spanish ambassador, for whom he painted several pictures, and he was also employed in painting for the churches. He painted as late as 1630, after which he returned to Spain. 

His early biographer was his contemporary, Giovanni Baglione, who leans heavily on anecdote. He is said to have had a temper; riding one day in a coach, at Rome, he saw some artists, among whom was Caravaggio, laughing at him; he sprang from the carriage, seized a bottle of varnish from the shop of a druggist, and threw it at the heads of the offenders. More on Orazio Borgianni 

After this they gave Saint Laurence over to fierce tortures, urging him to worship idols. The martyr was scourged, they burned his wounds with fire, and struck at him with metal switches. After this they stretched Saint Laurence on a rack and returned him to prison. When they took Saint Laurence to his final torture, Saint Hyppolitus wanted to declare himself a Christian and die together with him, but the confessor said: “Conceal for now thy confession in thy heart. After some length of time I shall summon thee, and thou shalt hear and come unto me.”

Peter Paul Rubens

The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, c. c. 1613-15

Oil on panel

250 x 178.5 cm

Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Sir Peter Paul Rubens (28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish Baroque painter. A proponent of an extravagant Baroque style that emphasized movement, colour, and sensuality, Rubens is well known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.

In addition to running a large studio in Antwerp that produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically educated humanist scholar and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England.  More Sir Peter Paul Rubens

They placed him in an iron cage, under which they set an intense fire, and the flames of the fire flicked towards the body of the martyr. Saint Laurence, glancing at the governor, said: “Here now, you burn only but one side of my body, turn over the other and do my whole body”. Dying, he uttered: “I thank Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast accounted me worthy to enter into Thy gates” -- and with these words he gave up the spirit. More on Saint Agapitus

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