Throughout Europe, the end of the 16^th century saw an enormous output of images of Christian martyrdom. Images portraying the law and the behavior of tyrannical regimes in terms of the torment of the martyrs signaled the threats to their own legal system. For the first time, the images of martyrs and tyrants are presented as both religious figures and reflections of contemporary thinking about the law.

Carolin Behrmann, Kunsthistorisches Institut (Max-Planck-Institut), Florenz.