The ordeal by fire before emperor otto iii, a painting by dirk bouts, painted 1470/75 (musée royal des beaux-arts, brussels). The picture shows a legendary tale related to otto iii (980–1002): a man should have broken the marriage with otto's wife, wherefor the ruler had him beheaded. The widow proved to the contrary: in one hand she held the severed head of her husband, in the other—a red-hot iron. Attempted translation of the above german description. Notice: (saint) richardis is not the woman before otto but the nun in flames in the far back. Date: between 1471 and 1473.
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