St. Hippolytus Triptych 1475

Dirk Bouts painted this Triptych of St. Hippolytus, sometime before his death in 1475. It depicts the legend of St. Hippolytus, a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity. The central panel portrays the brutal execution of Hippolytus. Horses drag him to his death, while onlookers appear detached, indifferent, and absorbed in their own worlds. This evokes a sense of the social and political powerlessness of the saint. The left panel features two women who represent the act of devotion, embodying the transformative power of faith. The women who commissioned the Triptych are included in this panel, as it was typical to include the patrons of the artwork in the paintings. The right panel then shows the Saint rejecting the offerings of the Roman Emperor. Bouts captures the intense suffering of Hippolytus, while commenting on the intersection of faith, identity, and power in a society marked by religious persecution. The painting prompts us to reflect on how the narratives of saints and martyrs can inspire both personal piety and collective resistance in the face of systemic injustice.