Saint Dionysius Decapitated

This oil represents Dionysius of Paris, one of the most popular saints in France. In his hagiography, as in the ones of other saints, there are numerous inconsistencies and not few gaps. According to The Golden Legend and the writings of Abbot Hilduino, Dionysius was a martyr of the 1^st century. A native of Italy and the first bishop of Paris, he was sent to evangelize Roman Gaul —of which present-day France was part— together with the priest Rustic and the deacon Eleuterio.

There, the three Christians suffered martyrdom for defending their faith in Christ. Saint Dionysius was scourged, thrown to the wild beasts and forced to enter a burning furnace. Finally, he was beheaded on the hill of Montmartre, along with the two religious who accompanied him. According to the legends, after being decapitated, the saint picked up his head and, carrying it in his hands, he crossed a large part of the city, until he met Catulla, a pious woman belonging to the local nobility, to whom he gave it before falling dead.

In allusion to his martyrdom, this saint is usually represented carrying his severed head in his hands, an iconography that this painting of the Colonial Museum follows. A white miter ornamented with golden patterns, a piece of clothing characteristic to the position of bishop he held in life, covers the head of Dionysus. From the base of the headless limb, we see falling down drops of blood that stand out due to the contrast of color that they establish with the luxurious clothes.

The saint’s clothing draws attention for its richness: on a brown cassock and white surplice, falls a red stole adorned in golden patterns, which symbolizes the blood and strength of the Holy Spirit and shows love for God. A cope is superimposed on the rest of the set. Light green on the surface and lined in green textile, the cope shows the colors that until the 16th century distinguished the bishops. The outfit is completed by a pair of red shoes, which allude to the blood of all the martyrs who gave their lives for Christ.

Although faithful to a great extent to the iconographic tradition, in this oil painting a particular feature can be appreciated: above the wound of the neck, floating and emitting rays of light, the heart of Jesus, hug by the crown of thorns and accompanied by a small golden cross, takes the place of the severed head. Above, it flies a white dove representing the Holy Spirit. The arrangement of these symbols in the composition suggests that the martyrdom of the saint is composition suggests that the martyrdom of the saint is comparable to the suffering of Christ at the time of his death.

The figure of Saint Dionysus and his attributes occupy almost the entire composition. The outline of the outer edge of the pluvial cape suggests an oval, a shape similar to the circle that is usually related to the celestial and divine perfection. A cluster of clouds supports the character. The opaque brown background is illuminated by golden rays emanating from Dionysus’ body, highlighting his holiness.

Centuries after his death, a church was built in his honor, the Basilica of Saint-Denis. The temple was built in the place where the saint is believed to have died after giving up his head. The cult of this character spread in France during the Middle Ages, also reaching Spain and Germany. He was considered patron of the French Royal House and was invoked for the cure of some diseases and headaches.