Saint Anthony of Padua
XVIII century. Pencil, Grey-brown wash on laid paper.Not on display
This drawing is attached to another sheet. It depicts Saint Anthony of Padua standing on clouds. In his left arm, he holds the Christ Child, who is caressing his chin. In his right arm there is a bunch of lilies. At his feet there are child angels, one of whom holds a book. Cherubim surround the scene.
It exactly coincides with a print in the Biblioteca Nacional (Spanish National Library), which bears the following inscription: ‘V. %. R.to. of the Effigy of the Glor.so. S.n. Anthony of Padua which is venerated in his own Chapel, Outside the walls of the places of Villaluenga and S.n. Llorente in the Camino R.l. de Vizcaya, Arzb.do. of Burgos. Built at the expense and devotion of D.n. Gil de Castresana, Help of the R.l. Oficio de la Furriera, who dedicates it to the S.C.R.M. (may God watch over him) the S.or. D.n. Charles III. The Ex.mos Sr.s. Nuncio de S.S. Patriarch of the Indies, different S.s. Archbishops and Bishops have conc.do. 2280 days of Indulgende to all the faithful who devoutly recite an Our Father, Hail Mary, with Gloria Patri before this image. The Effigy was made by D. Manuel Albarez. General Director of the Royal Academy of San Fernando. Drawn by D.n. Mariano Maella, Chamber Painter of S.M. and etched by Bernardo Albiztur, Engraver of the R.l. Casa de S.M. Madrid. A. 1787’.
The brusqueness and poor quality of the drawing means that it must be considered a copy of the print rather than a preparation for it; hence, it is catalogued as a copy of Maella’s work.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Catálogo de Dibujos. Vol. III. Dibujos Españoles Siglo XVIII. C-Z, Madrid, Ministerio de Cultura, 1977, p.78
