The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian

The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian is an 1834 painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. It shows the death of Saint Symphorian, the first Christian martyr in Gaul. It is now in Autun Cathedral.

History

It had been commissioned in 1824 and Ingres had begun work that year, producing nearly 200 preparatory drawings. Ingres wished to present it as his masterpiece and as the result of wide research, but it was a critical failure when it was exhibited at the 1834 Salon, leading the artist to abandon exhibiting at the Salon and to refuse any public commissions. He went into self-imposed exile in Rome by accepting the post of the French Academy in Rome.

Bibliography

• Daniel Ternois, Ingres, Paris, Fernand Nathan, 1980 (ISBN 2-09-284-557-8)
• Robert Rosenblum, Ingres, Paris, Cercle d'Art, coll. « La Bibliothèque des Grands Peintres », 1986 (ISBN 2-7022-0192-X)