Where to See Martyrdom of St. Erasmus: Pinacoteca Vaticana

Nicolas Poussin depicts the brutal martyrdom of St. Erasmus, who according to legend had his intestines wound out on a windlass. The painting shows the saint's torture with Classical restraint, balancing graphic subject matter with formal compositional order typical of Baroque religious art.

Poussin painted this altarpiece for St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, demonstrating his ability to handle large-scale religious commissions. The work is now at the Pinacoteca Vaticana.

St. Erasmus was a 3rd-century bishop and martyr, also known as St. Elmo. Legends describe his torture, making him the patron saint of sailors (St. Elmo's fire) and those suffering from abdominal ailments.

The work housed at the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Vatican City. The museum contains paintings collected by the popes, including major works by Giotto, Caravaggio, and Raphael spanning eight centuries.

Nicolas Poussin was a French Baroque painter who worked primarily in Rome. He emphasized rational composition, classical forms, and intellectual clarity, becoming a leading figure in the classical tradition of French painting.

Martyrdom of St. Erasmus

Where to See It

The Artist

Cite or Embed This Work

More by Nicolas Poussin

Apollo and Daphne

St. Cecilia

Mars and Venus

Echo and Narcissus

Also at Pinacoteca Vaticana

St Thomas Before the Cross

Battle of Gideon Against the Midianites

The Adoration of the Magi

Pieta

The Rape of the Sabine Women

Victory of Joshua over Amorites

The Entombment of Christ

Death of St. Bruno

Judith Beheading Holofernes

The Calling of Saint Matthew

Judith Slaying Holofernes

The Feast of Saint Nicholas

Descent from the Cross

Aurora

Portrait of Innocent X

About Martyrdom of St. Erasmus

Own Art Like This