Capriccio View of Rome with the Martyrdom of St Lawrence

Cornelis van Poelenburgh offsets the gruesome nature of Lawrence’s martyrdom by setting the scene within an idyllic and romanticised view of Rome. The statues of Castor and Pollux are visible on the Capitoline Hill, as is part of St. Peter’s Basilica to the left, and the Colosseum in the centre. Despite the idyllic landscapes however, the focus remains on the grisly martyrdom.