Martyrdom of Saint Agatha in an Initial D

A woman with a halo stands bare-shouldered before a seated judge while an executioner grips pincers at her breast. A soldier holding an SPQR shield and a bearded man in yellow look on. Tempera and gold on parchment, set within an ornate blue and red initial D.

Look closer: The letters SPQR are painted on the soldier's shield, a Roman emblem that identifies the setting.

Artist

Sano di Pietro (Ansano di Pietro di Mencio)

Date

ca. 1470–73

Medium

Tempera and gold on parchment

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

3584 × 3665 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 1975.1.2488