The Battle of Vienna – 11 September 1683

The Battle of Vienna is a huge, imposing oil canvass that stands 9m by 4.5m in the John Sobieski room of the Vatican Museums. The masterpiece recounts the ending of the Turkish siege of Vienna by the Catholic army...

The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist

Many artists have depicted the beheading of the Baptist in the grim prison of Herod's palace (cf. Mk 6:14-29). Among them was Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, who in 1608 painted his largest canvas (361 × 520 cm), The...