Leo, Emperor of the Armenians, Killed in the Presence of His Mother

Giovanni Baglione (circa 1566 - 1643)

British Museum

1611 - 1612

This is a preparatory study in the rare medium of oil on paper for one of the frescoes of the ceiling of San Maria Maggiore, Rome. It illustrates God's vengeance on iconoclasts: the gruesome death of the Emperor Leo, foretold to his mother in a dream of the Virgin, came about because of his persecution of worshippers of holy images.

• Medium: oil on paper
• Dimensions: 27 x 29 cm
• Art Fund Grant: £3750 ( Total: £15,000)
• ArtFunded in: 1993
• Vendor: Julien Stock

Provenance

Sir Thomas Lawrence.

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