Studio of Carlo Dolci, Martyrdom of St Andrew

The apostle Andrew was the brother of Peter and, according to John 1: 40-41, was the first to follow Christ.  Andrew was executed in the Peloppenese after converting the wife of the governor Egeas to Christianity.  Her subsequent refusal to satisfy her husband's marital demands resulted in Andrew's imprisonment and execution.

In the present painting we see Andrew kneeling before the cross, seeing a vision from Heaven. The high quality of this version, which is a copy after the original of the same dimensions found in Florence, Galleria Palatina, inv. 1912, no. 266 (according to F. Baldassari, Carlo Dolci, Turin 1995, reproduced p. 86), suggests that it is contemporary to the original and was most likely executed in the artist's studio.  A smaller version (52.5 by 41 cm.) is in a private collection, New York, and a painting of very similar composition (115.6 by 91.4 cm) is in Birmingham, Birmingham Museum and City Art Gallery, no 45.62.  However, this last composition differs from the New York and Florence version as angels can be seen coming down from the sky and the crowd to the right  is composed of different people.