Saint Serapion (Zurbarán)

[3] The art critic draws a comparison in the manner of the depiction of Campion's death and that of Saint Serapion of Algiers (1179–1240), a Mercedarian friar who fought in the Third Crusade of 1196 and was later martyred.

[4] Saint Serapion is depicted by Zurbarán in a quasi-crucified pose,[3] standing with each hand bound by ropes and chains to an overhead horizontal pole.

In 2003, Scottish painter Alison Watt wrote, "Each fold has been pared down to the basic elements of light and shade.

Zurbarán has elevated the humble fabric of the robes of Saint Serapion to a divine level with pure, magnificent white.

"[1] There is an allusion to Zurburán's depiction of Saint Serapion in the poem "Meditations in an Emergency" by the mid-twentieth century American poet Frank O'Hara:

Francisco de Zurbarán , The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion 1628, 120 × 103 cm, Oil on canvas , Wadsworth Atheneum , Hartford, Connecticut