The martyrdom of Saint Agnes: she is stabbed, and an angel receives the martyr's palm from Christ for bestowal upon her. Drawing by F. Rosaspina, c. 1830, after D. Zampieri, il Domenichino.

Agnes was condemned to be burnt; but the fire instead consumed her executioners, whom we see lying on the ground. Here, seated on a pyre, she is being stabbed in the throat with a stiletto. A lamb can be seen next to the pyre, connected with Agnes through assonance with Latin 'agnus', lamb