Saint Francis Clare Agnes by Antonio Villanueva
Saint Francis of Assisi, between Saint Clare and Saint Agnes of Assisi, by Fray Antonio de Villanueva
Oil on canvas (1760)
This canvas, with a clear pyramidal composition, represents three of the most significant personalities within the Franciscan family. In the interior, we find Santa Clara, with the monstrance as an identifiable iconographic element. She appears alongside her sister, Saint Agnes of Assisi, one of the first abbesses of the order. At the apex of the pyramid, Saint Francis would be showing the stigmata, with the skull and the cross as elements of prayer and penance. Antonio Villanueva was ordained a priest in 1759, entering the convent of San Francisco in Valencia, where he painted many works. The style used is typical of painting from the mid-18th century, with friendly tones and shapes. According to the preserved documentation, this was a gift made by the nuns of the Jerusalem convent in Valencia, although the top of the frame has been lost from the original.
Comments
Post a Comment