Who painted Burial of Santa Leocadia?

Burial of Santa Leocadia was painted by Cecilio Pla in 1887-01-01.

Where can I see Burial of Santa Leocadia?

Burial of Santa Leocadia is held by Museo del Prado.

What movement is Burial of Santa Leocadia?

Burial of Santa Leocadia is associated with Post-Impressionism.

Artwork

Burial of Santa Leocadia

Cecilio Pla , 1894

Burial of Santa Leocadia is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Cecilio Pla. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition serves as a visual hagiography, commemorating the death and final resting place of the martyr within the context of religious art.

Cecilio Pla's 1887 oil painting depicts the burial of Saint Leocadia, a religious subject set in Toledo. The work functions as a narrative representation of the saint's funeral rites, focusing on the solemnity of the interment. By placing the event in Toledo, the artwork connects the holy figure to the specific geographic and spiritual history of that city.

The composition serves as a visual hagiography, commemorating the death and final resting place of the martyr within the context of religious art.

Technique & Style

Oil paint on canvas, Burial of Santa Leocadia measures 285 cm by 477 cm and depicts the burial of Saint Leocadia. Executed in 1887, the work belongs to the religious genre and was submitted to the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1877. It is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it remains on view.

History & Provenance

The painting was created in 1887 by Cecilio Pla as an oil on canvas work titled Burial of Santa Leocadia. It entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display. The composition shows the burial of Saint Leocadia and was first shown at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1877.

Context

Cecilio Pla's 1887 oil painting Burial of Santa Leocadia entered public view at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1877 before entering the Museo del Prado collection, where it remains displayed in Madrid. The work portrays the saint's interment within a distinctly Castilian religious context, reflecting 19th-century Spanish devotional art's emphasis on local sainthood. Pla's composition situates the burial scene within Toledo's historic landscape, merging geographic specificity with hagiographic narrative typical of Spanish religious painting of the period.

Art historians note its significance as an early example of naturalistic treatment of sacred subjects within academic realism, bridging traditional iconography with contemporary observational approaches.

Overview

Cecilio Pla’s 1894 oil on canvas, titled Burial of Santa Leocadia, presents a solemn funerary scene set against a muted, open landscape. The composition gathers a small crowd around a shrouded corpse, illuminated by a soft, diffused light that accentuates the figures’ gestures. The work is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection, where it remains on display as an example of late‑19th‑century Spanish religious painting.