Knud den Helliges martyrdød 1725

Andreas Reinhardt's 1725 etching, "Knud den Helliges martyrdød," depicts the martyrdom of Saint Canute IV, the King of Denmark. The image shows the king kneeling in prayer, surrounded by arrows and other instruments of his death. Above him, angels hold a crown of thorns and a scroll bearing the inscription "S. CANVTUS IV. REX ET PROTO MARTYR DANORVM." The scene is set against a backdrop of a wall and a crumbling building, suggesting the king's final moments. The etching is a powerful and moving representation of the king's sacrifice and the suffering of martyrdom.