Ancient painting on a religious subject, oil on canvas, Italy 17th century.

Oil on canvas. Lombard school of the 17th century. On its original canvas and mounted on its original frame. Set in a prison, the scene depicts Saint Ambrose, the bishop, directing the person to his right, a soldier wearing a cross around his neck, towards the sky. He can be identified as Saint Victor, a Roman soldier from Mauritania, who served in Milan during the time of Maximian and was martyred for his Christian faith. It was the bishop of Milan who recounted the life and martyrdom of the saint in one of his writings and spread his cult. To the left, another probable martyr of the faith witnesses the proclamation of the beatitude of his cellmate; around them, many other figures of the condemned. The octagonal painting likely belongs to a series dedicated to the cult of the saint bishop of Milan. The canvas requires restoration and cleaning, showing several stains and cuts (a tear in the centre, and others smaller on the sides).