Sacrifice at Lystria Raphael (1483-1520)

The painting depicts a dramatic scene taking place in an ancient city. In the foreground, a muscular man with a beard is poised to strike a bull with an axe. He is surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, their faces filled with anticipation, distress, and awe. To the left, another man, draped in an orange robe, is preparing a sacrifice on an altar, holding a green object, possibly a garland. Theres a smaller figure of a boy holding a book and another playing a flute, adding a somber musical undertone to the ritual. In the background, classical architecture dominates, with large pillars and statues, including a statue of Hermes with his caduceus, suggesting a pagan setting where a sacrifice is being conducted.
The subtext of the painting likely refers to the biblical story from the Book of Acts, where the Apostle Paul and Barnabas were mistaken for gods (Zeus and Hermes) by the people of Lystria after Paul healed a lame man. The crowd, about to offer sacrifices to them, is a depiction of this moment of mistaken divine adoration before the apostles correct the people. The painting captures the tension between human devotion, pagan ritual, and the divine intervention of the apostles, highlighting themes of faith, misunderstanding, and the power of divine signs. Alternatively, it might represent a classical mythological scene involving a sacrifice to a god. However, given the typical biblical narratives depicted in Renaissance art, the Acts of the Apostles interpretation is more probable.