Description
Caravaggio depicts the final moments of Saint Andrew's martyrdom. The elderly apostle remains bound with ropes to a vertical cross while several men attempt to release him. According to hagiographic tradition, Andrew remained alive for a prolonged period after being crucified and continued preaching to those gathered around him.
Following protests from the crowd, orders were eventually given to release him, but the saint died before he could be removed from the cross. Caravaggio selects this relatively unusual moment in the story, avoiding the actual act of crucifixion and concentrating instead upon the martyr's physical exhaustion. The composition is organized around Andrew's naked and ageing body, whose anatomy is described with Caravaggio's characteristic naturalism. The painting is held in Cleveland, where conservation recovered contrasts of light and material details that help explain the artist’s working methods.
