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We can identify Saint Francis by his habit, his rope belt and the wound on his right hand. He raises his gaze towards heaven and holds a skull in his left hand. A crucifix rests on a book in front of him in this scene that presents him deep in prayer as a direct result of his meditations.Painted in Madrid in 1659 during the final years of Zurbarán’s life, Saint Francis at Prayer is a paradi
Saint Peter Nolasco, founded the order of Our Lady of Mercy, also known as the Mercederians, whose main objective was to rescue Christians held captive by the Muslims. The convent of la Merced Calzada for which this work was painted had been founded by Ferdinand III in 1249 -the year Pedro Nolasco died- but it was entirely reconstructed in the early 17th century. In August 1628, Zurbarán wa
This is the only example known to have been painted by Zurbarán of the medieval iconography of Jesus as savior, making this canvas especially interesting to historians of art. Similar examples had decorated the title pages of New Testaments in early illustrated Bibles from the Middle Ages through the sixteenth century, but were rare by the time Zurbarán painted his version of the sam
Born as princess of Aragon in 1271, the daughter of Peter III "the Great" and grand-daughter of James I "the Conqueror" married King Dinis of Portugal in 1293 and became queen of the country. Like her great-aunt Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, with whom her iconography is often confused, she led a deeply Christian life of charity and sacrifice. When her husband died in 1325 she took her vows as a Clar
The apostle Saint James is shown kneeling with his hands together in prayer, offering his neck up to the sword of the executioner whoprepares to decapitate him. Standing before the apostle, wearing a curious sort of headdress, is the authority who decreed his death. Behind Saint James are soldiers with halberds and various other figures who probably represent Herod Agrippa and the Jews who, accord
A painter devoutly contemplates the almost-sculptural figure of Christ on the Cross, which stands out against the dark background. It is Saint Luke, who was not only an evangelist, but also a doctor and artist. This biblical reference may actually hide a more general allusion to the value of painting as the art that is most useful as an instrument of religious devotion. It has also been pointed ou
Founder of the order of la Merced Calzada, the saint is depicted kneeling, leaning on a church pew. In his dream, an angel appears to him and shows him heavenly Jerusalem, conceived as a walled city with gates and drawbridges over which numerous people enter and exit. This work is a companion to Saint Peter appearing to Saint Peter Nolasco (P01237) and both were part of a series painted by Zurbar&
The worship of the Immaculate Virgin is one of seventeenth-century Spain´s identity traits, especially following a considerable argument between her defenders and her detractors, which took place in Seville in 1616. From then on, that city became one of the country´s leading Conceptionist centers and its painters dedicated much of their energy to promote that devotion. Zurbarán was one of t
The Franciscan friar Jacopo della Marca (1391-1476) was known for his reforming zeal and for his involvement in a complex debate on the divinity of Christ’s blood, shed during the Passion. The present scene refers to this episode and is one of a series of four paintings executed for the chapel of San Diego in Alcalá de Henares, a project in which Alonso Cano was also involved. Procede del
