good art illustrated

After my post about how good art should be defined, I thought it would be appropriate to provide an example of good art. This painting, “A Christian Martyr Drowned in the Tiber During the Reign of Diocletian,” fulfills the three requirements I listed: skill, beauty, and an explanation of life.

I found this painting on The State Hermitage Museum website, which has a wide variety of art including sculpture, artifacts, painting, and watercolor.

"A Christian Martyr Drowned in the Tiber During the Reign of Diocletian"



This is an oil painting done in 1853 by Hippolyte Delaroche (commonly called Paul).

I looked up Diocletian (person in the title of painting), and found that he reigned as emperor over the Roman Empire from A.D. 284-305. Along with Constantine, he established an absolute monarchy. Diocletian demanded absolute respect from his subjects. Some time toward the late period of his reign, Diocletian issued an edict that “all churches should be demolished, that the sacred Scriptures should be burned, that all Christians should be dismissed from public office, and that those who secretly met for public worship should be punished with death.”