S. Marinvs M. et pontifex

An engraving depicting Saint Marinus being lifted over a burning pyre by two executioners. In the foreground, his bishop’s mitre and staff lie on the ground, while two celestial putti descend from clouds above to offer a wreath of martyrdom. The scene is set against a classical domed building and swirling columns of smoke and flame.

Engraved by Aegidius Sadeler, a key figure in the court of Rudolf II in Prague, this work reflects the era's sophisticated synthesis of Christian martyrdom and classical rhetoric. The accompanying verse uses the figure of Vulcan to personify fire, framing the saint's death as a spiritual purification where 'great light comes from great fires,' a theme that resonated with the Rudolfine interest in transformation and the endurance of the spirit.