The saint's body lies sprawled on the ground, draped in a vivid red cloth that stands out against the somber, earthen tones of the prison wall and floor. To the left, a young woman in a dark green dress leans forward, holding a golden platter, her posture tense as she waits to receive the severed head. Beside her, an older woman in black covers her mouth in horror, her eyes wide with shock and grief.

On the right, two figures peer through the bars of a window, their faces partially illuminated by the light that cuts across the wall, watching the event unfold from within the prison. The composition is anchored by the massive stone archway at the left, which frames the central group and deepens the sense of enclosure and fate. Light streams in from the left, striking the figures with theatrical intensity and casting deep shadows that heighten the drama of the moment.

The paint is handled with a striking realism, from the sheen of the executioner’s taut muscles to the subtle folds of fabric and the glint of metal on the platter and knife. The background is rendered in broad, smooth areas of brown and ochre, creating a stark contrast with the sharply defined figures in the foreground. Every gesture and facial expression is carefully observed, from the executioner’s focused determination to the recoiling horror of the older woman and the tense anticipation of the young woman with the platter.

A length of rope coils on the ground at the right, its presence a silent witness to the violence and confinement that define the scene. The figures are arranged in a frieze-like line across the lower half of the canvas, their bodies and gazes directing attention to the central act of martyrdom.