The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence

This engraving is based on Titian's altarpiece from Santa Maria dei Crociferi in Venice, executed from 1548 to 1559. Both the painting and Cort's rendering of it capture the fiery martyrdom of St. Lawrence (3rd century AD), here shown bound to the gridiron on which he was burned to death at the hands of Roman soldiers. Though he made slight changes to Titian's composition, Cort successfully translated the mood of Titian's nocturnal scene into this black-and-white engraving. The billowing clouds of smoke and the exaggerated poses of the figures in the foreground capture the harrowing effect of Titian's painting.