Martyrdom of St. Hippolytus

The drawing by Giambattista Tiepolo is the only multi-figure composition by this author in the National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe) collection in Szczecin. Its value and significance also derive from the fact that it is probably the earliest work by Giambattista, the senior member of the famous 18th-century Venetian family of artists. It is the opinion of Georg Knox, a researcher on the Tiepolos' works, who compared this sketch with another drawing by Giambattista kept in Innsbruck, formerly considered the earliest.The composition probably depicts an episode in the life of Saint Hippolytus, the Christian martyr, namely, the moment before his death. St Hippolytus of Rome was born before 170, probably in Asia Minor and died a martyr's death in 235 in Sardinia. He was a disciple of another martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon. He went to Rome under Pope Victor I and was ordained a priest there. He was a theologian preaching highly regarded homilies and a writer, author of works on the Church. The scene takes place on the terrace of a monumental building with a columned portico in front of which the throne of the Roman Governor of Sardinia has been placed. St Hippolytus, wearing a loincloth and surrounded by a crowd of people, is standing before the Governor. His body bears torture marks for the Christian faith, symbolised by a crucifix raised high by one lamenting woman. Giambattista placed two horses in the drawing as a symbol of St Hippolytus' martyrdom. Nearby, he showed Roman soldiers who are presumably about to carry out the execution. One of them, extending his hand towards the martyr and speaking to the others, appears to be a convert, convincing his colleagues of the Christian faith. The drawing was made in pen and lavé, i.e., underpainting, in brown tones and framed by an outline drawn in black crayon, on cream paper with a watermark - a hunting horn. The three gilt edges of the card indicate that it is from a sketchbook.

Ewa Gwiazdowska