St. Philomena (or Filumena) stands by the Tiber River with a rope around her neck and an anchor at the other end. The executioner awaits the word from emperor Diocletian. In the shadows of the archway her parents can be seen. Her mother, still pleading for her daughter to give up her vow to Christ and adore the Roman gods, is on her knees. Her father having tried to convince her of the same stands unmoved behind his distraught wife. A few Christians on the right show their support. An archer stands behind Diocletian; he will be called upon, with others, to shoot her with arrows, for the anchor will have no effect on drowning the girl and Philomena will miraculously rise from the Tiber, unharmed and completely dry! The archers arrows will fail as well to kill her; in fact on the second round of shooting, the arrows will turn in mid flight and strike their shooters. Finally, she will be beheaded.
I decided to cut off the top of the painting as the onlookers I had painted standing on the stone wall
above the arch distracted the eye. So here is the final version. St. Philomena, pray for us.
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