The ‘spectacularization’ of death finds in the saints and martyrs painted by Tiepolo a novel dimension. That which traditionally assumed dramatic tonalities, under his brush is transformed into luminous gestures, elegant foreshortening, graceful flights, and complex architectures. The small sketch, which foreshadowed the large canvas to be made for the Cathedral of Bergamo, finds its significance almost entirely in the dresses of the martyr and in the warm color tones of the angel, all set in opposition to  the shadow that seems to sweep over the cruel gestures of the butchers.