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A Dominican, with the Attributes of Saint Peter Martyr

Photo credit: The National Gallery, London

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Notes

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In 1252 Saint Peter Martyr, a Dominican friar from Verona, was assassinated in an ambush by a group of heretics. This picture was once thought to be a ‘portrait’ of the saint: we can see the hilt of a dagger which has been plunged into his heart, and a cleaver lodged in his head.

X-ray imagery shows that these objects were painted over the picture about 100 years after it was first made. It’s difficult to see the picture’s true quality as the painted surface is quite damaged. The underdrawing (the preliminary outlining of a composition), however, shows a very delicate and detailed drawing of the friar’s facial features, which matches Bellini’s sophisticated technique towards the end of his career.

The image may have been altered to show a saint, rather than an unknown Dominican friar, to make it more appealing to a potential buyer.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

A Dominican, with the Attributes of Saint Peter Martyr

Date

about 1490-1500

Medium

Oil on poplar

Measurements

H 59.1 x W 48.3 cm

Accession number

NG808

Acquisition method

Bought, 1870

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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