Saint Francis in Prayer in a Grotto

Francisco Zurbaran

Saint Francis in Prayer in a Grotto

Oil on canvas, ca. 1650-55

The San Diego Museum of Art

I was drawn to this piece because of my Catholic religious background and my knowledge of St. Francis de Assisi.  He was most known for his kindness and humanity.  During my confirmation classes and the masses I attended, the priest would mention this Saint when his message was about being kind to others. 

 

This piece has both symbolic meaning and historical significance. This painting was created approximately 1650, a couple of years after the end of the Thirty Year War.  This war was between the Catholics and the Protestants, was the longest in European history, and resulted in death and destruction, it split the Holy Roman Empire.  I believe that the skull in the image represents the devastation of the war, and the famine and disease that decreased the population at that time.

This piece of art was created during the Baroque art movement which was between 1600-1750 where religious art was used to praise God and as a weapon in the war.  Francisco de Zurbaran created many pieces of Saint Francis de Assisi who was a big part of his career.  Zurbaran admired this Saint and used art as a way to feel to closer to God.  Most of Zurbaran's work was for religious orders and churches but this piece was when he was doing domestic paintings.

 

Although I cannot find the commission, the first documented owner was Don Luis Pacheco Suarez de Deza of Spain.  During the Baroque movement the people were very interested in religious art.  This piece of work was carried down to his son and stayed in the family for 200 years until a new owner was documented. The audience for this piece were wealthy people that had been affected by the Thirty Year War.  But this piece was carried on because of how famous Saint Francis de Assisi was and how his morals were admired by people then and even today.