Saint Thomas of Villanova Giving Alms / Sketch for Three Figures
XVIII century. Pencil, Grey-brown wash, Pencil ground on laid paper.Not on display
Saint Thomas, in episcopal vestments, gives alms to several poor people who are kneeling. Among those in the foreground, there is a woman with a child. The saint is accompanied by three family members in the midground. The composition is clearly inspired by Murillo’s canvas, now in the Museo de Sevilla. Camarón painted a canvas of this devotion on the high altar of the Church of Benicassim with a similar configuration.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso Emilio, Museo del Prado Catálogo de Dibujos T. III. Dibujos Españoles, Siglo XVIII C-Z, Madrid, Museo del Prado, 1977, p.17