Saint Eulalia

The 12-year-old St Eulalia was martyred in the fourth century for refusing to make sacrifices to the Roman gods. Two executioners tore her body with iron hooks, and held flames to her breasts and sides until she was suffocated by the smoke. According to the account given by the Spanish poet Prudentius, which Waterhouse quoted in the exhibition catalogue, a white dove emerged from Eulalia’s mouth at the moment of her death and a miraculous fall of snow descended. The composition is very daring with dramatic foreshortening for the figure and snow contrasting with Eulalia’s naked flesh.

Detailed Description Waterhouse exhibited this picture at the Royal Academy in 1885 with the following note...