Saint Barthelemy 1726

Etienne Brion's etching, "Saint Barthelemy," created in 1726, depicts the saint holding a flaying knife, a gruesome symbol of his martyrdom. The dramatic pose and detailed rendering of the saint's figure and surroundings create a powerful and evocative scene. The image is set in a landscape with a stone archway and a distant cityscape, highlighting the contrast between the natural world and the violent act of martyrdom. This print, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, exemplifies the use of etching in 18th-century French art.