The martyrdom of the Maccabees (?) 1556 - 1622

Aurelio Lomi made this drawing, The Martyrdom of the Maccabees (?), using pen and brown ink, with brown wash, heightened with white, on paper. The composition is immediately striking, organized around a central, almost theatrical space. Lomi uses architecture to frame the unfolding drama, with a column and curtain creating a stage-like setting. The contrast of light and shadow, achieved through the wash, directs our gaze to the figures in the foreground. Their dynamic poses and expressions of anguish and defiance offer a stark view of human suffering and religious zeal. The artist carefully arranged the figures to convey emotional intensity and narrative clarity. The drawing destabilizes our expectations. The composition is not traditionally symmetrical, yet it maintains a powerful balance through the arrangement of figures and architectural elements. This tension between order and chaos mirrors the conflict between faith and persecution depicted in the scene. Lomi uses form to explore themes of power, resistance, and the human condition.