In 320, forty Roman soldiers refused to offer sacrifices to idols and declared themselves to be Christians.They were exposed naked on frozen Lake Sebaste in Lesser Armenia.
They all endured the cold except one, who rushed to a bath of hot water placed close to the lake by the governor. He died instantly, stricken by the difference in temperature and was replaced by a guard, visible in profile on the left.
This icon is dated and signed by an unknown artist, Nikitarea.
City of Paris municipal collection's website
The collections portal can be used to search the collections of Paris’s 14 municipal museums (approximately 336,000 works, including 43,000 belonging to the Petit Palais).
It is also possible to download around 12,000 images of the museum’s works free of charge.
Access the Museums of the City of Paris collections portalExtern databases
Discover a selection of databases online presenting works from the Petit Palais or documents concerning the history of the museum.