Saint Bonaventure Saint Anthony 1670

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Saint Bonaventure and Saint Anthony – c. 1670, Circle of Basilio de Santa Cruz Pumacallao, Cuzco

This painting depicts two winged Franciscans, Saint Bonaventure and Saint Anthony of Padua, engaged in playing musical instruments: a hand vihuela for Bonaventure and an arch vihuela for Anthony. Saint Bonaventure, a Franciscan cardinal, is distinguished by his red cowl worn over the brown habit, while Saint Anthony is easily identifiable by his stalk of lilies, a traditional attribute. Both saints are rendered as angelic figures, with delicately feathered wings and serene expressions, reflecting their spiritual purity and celestial connection.

The painting is a fragment from a larger, complex allegorical composition depicting the defeat of heresy by the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, aided by Saint Francis and other Franciscan saints. The background is typically Cuzco School style, with subtle gold highlights and rich, earthy colors, and the figures are presented with a delicate naturalism and intricate detailing in the robes and instruments. The careful depiction of light enhances the three-dimensionality of the figures, while the musical instruments, painted with precision, underscore the harmonious and celebratory nature of the scene.

Originating around 1670 in Cuzco, this work is associated with the circle of Basilio de Santa Cruz Pumacallao and was painted for the convent of Saint Francis in Santiago de Chile. The Franciscan Order settled there soon after the first colonizers in 1554 and were entrusted with a chapel housing the Virgen del Socorro, a precious carved figure gifted by the city’s founder. Following the destruction of the original structure by an earthquake, the present-day church was constructed between 1586 and 1618. The convent’s east wing houses mainly altarpieces and religious artworks, while the west wing contains an impressive collection of silverware, including some particularly fine silver chalices.

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This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.