Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2019.

The Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua

Artist Claudio Coello (Spanish, 1642-1693)

Date1663

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions67 × 50 1/2 in. (170.2 × 128.3 cm)
Overall, Frame: 76 × 59 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (193 × 151.1 × 8.9 cm)

ClassificationsEuropean art

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.542

Terms

Religion
Saint Anthony
Saints
Red
White
Black
Yellow
Late Baroque
Madrid, Spain

Collections

European Art before 1945

On View

On view

DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting depicting the moment when Anthony, upon explaining the mystery of the Incarnation to listeners in his chamber, receives a vision from the Christ Child. In the left foreground there is a bronze vase with white lilies. Behind the lilies is a red cloth draped over a table or alter. On the right side of the canvas is a man in the garb of the Franciscan monk with a tonsured head is on his knees, hands outstretched, and a halo. His face is upturned to receive the vision from the left side of the canvas. Puttis appear, mostly only faces, but the one in the center (which is supposed to represent the Christ Child) sits on a silver globe. The background suggests the interior of a cathedral, complete with classical column and arched bays moving off the right side of the canvas. ;

Label TextClaudio Coello Spanish, 1642–1693 The Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua, 1663 Oil on canvas Buoyed by fluttering cherubs, the Christ Child descends in a burst of color and light to answer Saint Anthony’s meditation on the Incarnation—the belief that God became human in the form of Jesus. Dynamic Baroque compositions like this one turned complex and often dry church doctrine into exuberant theater, dazzling viewers with the mysteries of the faith. Symbolism enhanced the drama, helping tell the story. The transparent globe that Christ straddles is an emblem of his worldly dominion. The lilies at left are one of Saint Anthony’s attributes and signify his purity. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.542