Cypriana Norwida Christiani ad leones – w stronę ikonograficznych i semantycznych poszukiwań

This paper analyses the drawing entitled Christiani ad leones, one of few multi-figural compositions in Cyprian Norwid's artistic output. The work represents the scene of Neron's trial on four Christians, among whom we find saint Peter and saint Paul. The theme of composition draws on to the strong tradition of the Catholic Church that speaks of the death of the two saints who died as martyrs. It was supposed to take place during the first persecution of Christians in Rome (in 64 AD). Starting from the theme and particular elements of representation, the author went on to search for iconographic sources, compositional and stylistic analysis of the drawing. Accordingly, she referred both to traditional Christian iconography and to Norwid's contemporary historical painting. Within this type of drawing there were two opposite visions of antiquity, and from the mid-nineteenth century onward the problems of the martyrdom of the first Christian appeared. The author indicates also the attributes that combine Christiani ad leones with the then academic painting. The essential element of the analysis is its correspondence to plastic and literary works made by Norwid. The artist had a tendency to confer universal meanings on the presented events.