Scenes from the Life of Saint Ursula: Martyrdom of the Pilgrims and the Funeral of Saint Ursula

The Martyrdom of the Pilgrims and the Funeral of Saint Ursula was a single painting in a cycle created by the Vittore Carpaccio for the Scuole Piccola [1] and commissioned by the Loredan family [2]. The cycle narrates the life, marriage, and martyrdom of St. Ursula, with this specific piece focusing on her martyrdom. It depicts how she refused to marry the Hun prince and accepted her fate of death in order to remain dutiful to her fiancé as well as to her Christian ideals. [3] This piece is divided into two sections with the left-most section focusing on St. Ursula’s martyrdom and the right-most section telling the story of her funeral. The two parts of this piece are divided by a large pole that is depicted with the Loredan family’s coat of arms.

In the left section of the painting, the immediate chaos of this piece can be observed. The chaotic nature of this piece is created by the tight spatial organization that Carpaccio has created with both the fighting army as well as the group of virgins that stand near St. Ursula. This feature along with Carpaccio’s manipulation of form, by making St. Ursula’s figure appear larger than the figures that surround her, places St. Ursula in the role of an active figure in this piece. Though she may be serenely accepting her fate, Carpaccio has shown her as a figure that has actively chosen to protect her Christian ideals, even if the result of that decision is her untimely demise. On the right-most side of the piece, Carpaccio uses another form of spatial organization to highlight St. Ursula. Specifically, the way St. Ursula is depicted on the bier makes her appear more elevated than those around her. By physically and spatially placing her above the rest of the scene, Carpaccio is emphasizing her connection to God. He furthers this connection to God by manipulating light. Again, compared to the other figures in this scene, St. Ursula has been depicted more brightly and vividly. This shows that her active choice to live with God led to her martyrdom and, thus, closer to God.

In this piece, Carpaccio has utilized numerous stylistic elements to not only emphasize St. Ursula as an important divine figure but also capture the essence of her active choice to protect Christianity by accepting her death. By choosing to live by her Christian ideals, she marks her as a model and example of Christian piety.

[1] Benezit Dictionary of Artists, “Carpaccio, Vittore.” Benezit Dictionary of Artists, (2011).

[2] "Martyrdom of the Pilgrims (Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins) and Funeral of Saint Ursula,” Gallerie Accademia, accessed September 29, 2020, http://www.gallerieaccademia.it/en/martyrdom-pilgrims-saint-ursula-and-eleven-thousand-virgins-and-funeral-saint-ursula.

[3] Elizabeth Rodini. "The Politics of Marriage in Carpaccio's St. Ursula Cycle," Early Modern Women 8, (Fall 2013): 85-117.

• Rodini, Elizabeth. “The Politics of Marriage in Carpaccio’s St. Ursula Cycle.” Early Modern Women 8, (Fall 2013): 85-117. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23617847.
• Benezit Dictionary of Artists. “Carpaccio, Vittore.” Benezit Dictionary of Artists, (2011). doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00032555.
• Gallerie Accademia. "Martyrdom of the Pilgrims (Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins) and Funeral of Saint Ursula,” Gallerie Accademia. Accessed September 29, 2020. http://www.gallerieaccademia.it/en/martyrdom-pilgrims-saint-ursula-and-eleven-thousand-virgins-and-funeral-saint-ursula.