La Jeune Martyre by Paul Delaroche

[CapelliRossi]

I need a little help with my art paper. Nothing too much. I'm just trying to figure out the story behind La Jeune Martyre (Louvre, Paris), or A Christian Martyre Drowned in the Tiber During the Reign of Diocletian (Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) by Paul Delaroche, a histrory painter.
Here's the St. Petersburg version:

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/fcgi-bin/db2www/descrPage.mac/descrPage?selLang=English&indexClass=PICTURE_EN&Query_Exp=%28WOA_TYPE+%3D%3D+%22Painting%22%29+AND+%28WOA_AUTHOR+%3D%3D+%22Delaroche%2C+Paul%22%29&PID=GJ-5358&numView=1&ID_NUM=1&thumbFile=%2Ftmplobs%2FCPOFW274IZCOZK1R6.jpg&embViewVer=last&comeFrom=browse&check=false&sorting=WOA_AUTHOR%5EWOA_NAME&thumbId=6&numResults=3&author=Delaroche%2C+Paul

The best story I've been able to find is that of St. Philomena but her ultimate demise, according to her story, in beheading, not drowning.

Thanks in advance for any help and I hope you enjoy the painting!

[Rahab]

I need a little help with my art paper. Nothing too much. I'm just trying to figure out the story behind La Jeune Martyre (Louvre, Paris), or A Christian Martyre Drowned in the Tiber During the Reign of Diocletian (Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) by Paul Delaroche, a histrory painter.
Here's the St. Petersburg version:

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/fcgi-bin/db2www/descrPage.mac/descrPage?selLang=English&indexClass=PICTURE_EN&Query_Exp=%28WOA_TYPE+%3D%3D+%22Painting%22%29+AND+%28WOA_AUTHOR+%3D%3D+%22Delaroche%2C+Paul%22%29&PID=GJ-5358&numView=1&ID_NUM=1&thumbFile=%2Ftmplobs%2FCPOFW274IZCOZK1R6.jpg&embViewVer=last&comeFrom=browse&check=false&sorting=WOA_AUTHOR%5EWOA_NAME&thumbId=6&numResults=3&author=Delaroche%2C+Paul

The best story I've been able to find is that of St. Philomena but her ultimate demise, according to her story, in beheading, not drowning.

Thanks in advance for any help and I hope you enjoy the painting! Absolutly beautiful! Have you considered directing your research towards the "christian Ophelia"? Is it possible that Delaroche was exploiting the same theme as the pre Raphaelites rather than being inspired by the demise of an actual christian? Just a thought.....

[sarajtr]

My theory is that "La Jeune Martyre" is Delaroche's depiction of Rhea Silvia's attempted murder by Amulius. If you look to the background in the original painting, you can see the figure of an angry male figure looking down upon the woman in the Tiber. In the legend, Rhea is ultimately saved by Tiberius the river god and they were married. Tiberius gave Romulus and Remus, Rhea's twin sons by Mars, God of War to a she wolf to raise and Romulus later killed Remus and claimed "Rome" his own.