Object Image

A Dominican, with the Attributes of Saint Peter Martyr

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 car...

c. 1490-1500
Oil on poplar
59.1 x 48.3cm
NG808
Image and text © The National Gallery, London, 2024

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