The Torture of Saint Chrysanthus 

Peter Paul Reubens painted “The Torture of Saint Chrysanthus” sometime in the early to mid-17th century. It shows the brutal treatment of a Christian martyr in Ancient Rome. Rubens was a devout Catholic working in Antwerp, then part of the Spanish Netherlands. This region was deeply embroiled in the religious and political conflicts of the Counter-Reformation. Martyrdom was a common theme of Catholic art at the time. Images of saints enduring suffering were meant to inspire faith and devotion in the face of Protestant challenges. Rubens shows us how the image creates meaning through the visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations that shaped the reception and the production of his art. As art historians we might study publications such as “Acta Sanctorum” to better understand the legends and beliefs surrounding this saint. That gives us a stronger grasp of art as contingent on social and institutional contexts.