The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer (1883)

Jean-Léon Gérôme's painting The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer depicts a group of Christians closely gathered within the walls of the roman circus. They are deep in prayer as a lion emerges from the floor to prey on the blood of their beliefs. This work of art closely parallels the ideals of the British Empire during the 19th century, as Victorians learned from Rome's downfall what destroys empires. The Roman persecutions of the Catholics revealed that without the practice of Catholicism an empire will most certainly fail. Thus, the revival of Catholicism during the 19th century was so prominent in Britain.