I came across a painting by the 19-century French academic painter Léon Bonnat titled “The Martyrdom of St. Denis.” At my first glance, this painting was a gruesome representation of a beheading. As I looked longer, however, I became morally inspired.
Who Was Saint Denis?
As legend has it, Saint Denis (Dionysius) was converted to Christianity under the Apostle Paul. After Paul’s death, Pope Clement I sent Dionysius with several other bishops to Gaul to convert pagans to Christianity. However, the bishops were arrested in France by the Roman emperor, who was set on persecuting Christians.Soldiers were instructed to take the captured bishops and behead them on the slopes of Montmartre. The soldiers followed the orders and decapitated the prisoners in their custody.
