Study for 'Christian Dirce'
1897 National Museum in Kraków
About this artwork
This is an oil study prepared by Henryk Siemiradzki for his monumental painting titled 'Christian Dirce'. It depicts a bull standing over a fallen, tied figure in a classical arena setting.
Did you know?
The title refers to the Greek myth of Dirce, who was tied to a wild bull by Amphion and Zethus as punishment. Siemiradzki, a master of late 19th-century academic art, subverted the classical myth by replacing the mythological figure with a Christian martyr, a common theme in his work which explored the dramatic tension between early Christianity and the Roman Empire.
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Study for 'Christian Dirce'
Henryk Siemiradzki, 1897
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