Gospel in Art: Saint Agatha, Virgin, Martyr

The Martyrdom of St Agatha, by Giulio Clovo, 1567 © Musum Boijmans van Beuningen, Netherlands

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 5 February 2026
Luke 9:23-26

At that time: Jesus said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.'

Reflection on the drawing

Saint Agatha of Sicily (c. 231-251 AD) was born into a noble Christian family in Catania, in the Roman Province of Sicily. Renowned for her beauty and piety, she committed herself to a life of consecrated virginity, dedicating her body and soul entirely to Christ.

Her faith was put to the ultimate test under the persecution of Emperor Decius. A Roman official, Quintianus, enamoured by her beauty and wealth, sought to force her into marriage. When she refused, declaring that her only bridegroom was Christ, she was subjected to horrific torture. After being imprisoned, Agatha endured unspeakable cruelty, including the mutilation (and cutting off) of her breasts, a torment she bore with remarkable courage. According to tradition, Saint Peter appeared to her in prison, healing her wounds and strengthening her spirit. Despite further tortures, Agatha remained steadfast, dying in 251 AD, aged just 20, becoming one of the earliest and most revered Christian martyrs.

One of the most beautiful and enduring stories associated with Saint Agatha occurred after her martyrdom. It is said that a year following her death, Mount Etna erupted violently, threatening to destroy her hometown of Catania. The faithful of the city rushed to her tomb, retrieved her veil, and held it aloft as they prayed for her intercession. Miraculously, the lava halted its advance, sparing the city from devastation. This event cemented Saint Agatha's reputation as a powerful protector, and she has since been venerated as the patron saint of Catania and those suffering from breast-related illnesses, such as cancer.

Our drawing is by Giulio Clovio, a Croatian-Italian artist, celebrated as one of the greatest illuminators of the High Renaissance. He was so admired in his time that Giorgio Vasari called him the "Michelangelo of miniature." Nowadays he isn't very well known. Our small, powerful pen and ink drawing depicts the dramatic moment of her torture: the Sicilian saint bound to a tree while tormentors threaten her with large shears, blood already flowing, and an angel descends with the palm of martyrdom. In this image Clovio captures both the brutality of her suffering and the quiet presence of divine witness. This is not an easy drawing to look at. It confronts us with humanity at its most cruel, and that is precisely the world martyrs faced. Yet their suffering did not have the final word; their witness did.

LINKS

Christian Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reading: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-9-23-26-2026/