Bidspirit auction | Saint Francis of Paula. Spanish

Saint Francis of Paula. Spanish School. 19th Century - Oil on canvas. This moving devotional image depicts an elderly saint with a white beard, a golden halo, and a brown tunic, holding a book inscribed with the word ”Charitas, ” a symbol of the virtue of Christian charity. The lighting emphasizes the serenity of the face and the volumes of the habit, with sober folds and an earthy palette that reinforces the figure's asceticism. The brushwork is firm and restrained, highlighting the textures of the fabric and the spirituality of the scene. This type of representation reflects the 19th-century Spanish pictorial tradition, which sought an iconography accessible for private worship. The work conveys a profound symbolic and moralizing charge, in keeping with its religious function. Dimensions: 75 x 56 cm and 84 x 65 cm.