Leopold schulz, the martyrdom of st. Florian, 1837 in austria. The painting closely follows the 9th-century passio sancti floriani: with the permission of the guards florian has been praying for an hour with his hands extended like christ's on the cross when an impatient youth rushes forward to toss him off the bridge and into the river enns. The stone weight is also an element in the ancient narrative, which compares it to the roman governor's stony heart and the idols of stone that christians reject (acta sanctorum, may vol. 1, 465). The spqr (for the latin of "senate and people of rome") on the bridge post anchors the scene in the time of the roman empire. To the left of the post is a sheathed sword. There is no sword in the legend. Perhaps it refers to st. Florian's profession as a military officer, now "sheathed" because he has abandoned it for life in christ? Date: 1837. Medium: oil on canvas. Depicted People: Saint Florian. The Martyrdom of St Florian, Leopold Schultz (1837)
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