"Speechless"

8 x 12"

oil on panel
sold

From the Art Institute of Chicago, a man stands beneath the enormous painting by Francisco de Zurbararan of 'Saint Romanus of Antioch and Saint Barulas'. 

To make a long story short, Saint Romanus was a Syrian Martyr, arrested for his denouncing of idol-worshipping and called on to follow Christ. The governor of Antioch, after arresting and torturing the Saint and attempting to kill him by a public burning (a sudden gust of rain extinguished the fire), he then gave orders to cut out his tongue.

Please click here for a larger view.