Henryk Siemiradzki: Christian Dirce

This Russian 19th century painting entitled "Christian Dirce" by Henryk Siemiradzki was completed in 1897. The painting depicts the Roman emperor Nero watching over the martyrdom of a Christian woman who was executed by tying her to the horns of a bull. This sadistic form of execution was used by Nero to reenact the Greek myth of Dirce.