Master of the St. Mary Polyptych (attrib.)
The Palazzo Bellomo St. Lawrence Altarpiece

15th century (?)
Palazzo Bellomo, Syracuse, Sicily

St. Lawrence is seated on his throne in heaven wearing a dalmatic and holding the martyr's palm in his left hand and a book in his right. The throne sits on a gridiron placed over a recumbent figure most likely representing the Emperor Decius, who the Legend says ordered Lawrence's death.

Above the saint is a panel with the enthroned Madonna and Child. The six panels along the side present the sequence of the saint's passion. On the left the story moves chronologically from top to bottom: the death of Pope Sixtus, Lawrence distributing to the poor, then his arraignment before the Emperor. On the right, the narrative continues top-to-bottom: Lawrence in prison, Lawrence is tortured, Lawrence roasted on a gridiron.

The scenes may have been influenced by a Latin vita that had details not found in the Golden Legend, such as the burial of Sixtus and the use of "claws" in the torture scene. The vita is in the Acta Sanctorum, August vol. 2, 518-19.

The Palazzo Bellomo gives the date as "15th century" but an earlier period is suggested by the style, the restrained use of gold, and the arrangement of the panels.

The six narrative panels are as follows:

1. Upper left: The Christians Bury Pope Sixtus. (Apparently modeled on Dormition images.)
2. Middle left: Lawrence distributes the Church's funds to the poor.
3. Lower left: Lawrence is arraigned before the Emperor Decius.
4. Upper right: Lawrence is imprisoned (not photographed).
5. Middle right: He is tortured.
6. Lower right: Decius orders him roasted to death on a gridiron.

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Photographed at the Palazzo Bellomo by Claire Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.