Martyrdom of Saint Thomas

The Martyrdom of Saint Thomas (c. 1636) at the National Gallery Prague was produced late in Rubens's career for an ecclesiastical commission, depicting the apostle's death in India — where according to tradition he was killed with a lance while praying, becoming the first apostolic martyr in the Christian mission to Asia. Thomas's martyrdom was of particular significance for the Jesuit and other missionary orders who were actively pursuing the very mission Thomas had reportedly begun in India; painting his martyrdom reminded Counter-Reformation Catholics that the apostolic mission to spread Christianity was worth dying for. Rubens's treatment combines the fluid, atmospheric technique of his late period with the emotional directness and physical immediacy that had characterized his devotional style throughout his career. The National Gallery Prague, one of Central Europe's great art museums, holds this late Rubens alongside its outstanding collections of Bohemian, Dutch, and Flemish painting that together document the visual culture of the Habsburg domains.

The dramatic composition captures the moment of violence with characteristic Rubensian energy. The strong diagonal of the falling saint and the dynamic movements of his attackers create a scene of explosive physical and spiritual drama.

This martyrdom scene from 1630 has been conserved over the centuries. The dynamic composition with its strong diagonal movement has been well-preserved. The canvas has been relined. Some areas of the background architecture have darkened.