The Passion of St. Agatha

Church of Saint Agatha in Trastevere, Rome

As a punishment for her refusal to marry him, the provost Quintianus orders that Agatha's breasts be cut off. This large painting of that episode hangs behind the main altar in the church. In the painting an angel reaches down a palm branch, the traditional symbol of martyrdom, but Agatha is not actually martyred until four days later.

Images of the torture or death of martyrs often include on the left or right the official who has given the order. In this case, it is possible that the shadowed figure on the left is Quintianus, though why would he not be more prominent?

Read more about images of St. Agatha.

Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.