Martyrdom of the Saints (right panel)
- Artist: Borghese di Piero
- Date: (circa) 1430
- Medium: tempera on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Martyrdom of the Saints (right panel)” by Borghese di Piero, created around 1430. The tempera on panel reveals a dramatic moment rarely seen in art: the martyrdom of Julitta, an early Christian mother, and her three‑year‑old son Quiricus. The scene captures Julitta’s stoic endurance as she faces execution, her face set in a mixture of resolve and grief that pulls the viewer into the intimate tragedy of faith.
The work is part of a small series that once formed the predella of a larger altarpiece dedicated to Saint Quiricus. The Courtauld Gallery holds two other horizontal panels in this narrative sequence: the first shows Julitta and her child accused of practicing Christianity, while the second depicts a young Quiricus scratching the face of a Roman governor before being thrown to the floor. Together, these panels chart the family's steadfast belief and the brutal realities of persecution in the early Church.
Borghese di Piero’s use of tempera gives the figures a luminous, almost translucent quality, a hallmark of early 15th‑century Italian painting. The palette is restrained, emphasizing the emotional weight of the martyrdom over decorative flourish. By focusing on a lesser‑known martyr narrative, the artist invites us to reflect on the universality of sacrifice and devotion across centuries.
See it in person
Martyrdom of the Saints (right panel) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
