Artwork
Cyriakus-Folge: Der hl. Cyriakus wird vom Perserkönig begrüßt
Cyriakus-Folge: Der hl. Cyriakus wird vom Perserkönig begrüßt is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder. It dates from 1532 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder created the 1532 work *Cyriakus-Folge: Der hl. Cyriakus wird vom Perserkönig begrüßt*, a religious composition now housed in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. Executed in a mannerist idiom that retains strong Renaissance traits, the painting presents a narrative episode involving Saint Cyriacus and a Persian monarch.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates a legendary encounter in which Saint Cyriacus, identified by his halo, is received by a Persian king. The two figures shake hands while a group of onlookers observes, emphasizing themes of diplomatic or spiritual exchange between Christian sanctity and foreign royalty.
Technique & Style
Bruyn employs a muted palette of yellow, gray and blue, rendering the figures with realistic detail and careful modeling of fabric. Subtle chiaroscuro gives volume to the bodies, while the composition balances a foreground interaction with a simple stone wall and a cloud‑dotted sky in the background.
History & Provenance
Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder, a Cologne‑based painter noted for altarpieces and portraiture, produced this work during the early 16th‑century German Renaissance. After remaining in private or ecclesiastical hands, it entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s German painting holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartholomäus Bruyn (1493–1555), usually called Barthel Bruyn or Barthel Bruyn the Elder, was a German Renaissance painter active in Cologne. He painted altarpieces and portraits, and was Cologne's foremost portrait painter of his day.
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