Artwork
San Antonio Abad
San Antonio Abad is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist Francisco Rizi. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These objects serve as visual symbols of Anthony's eremitic life, his devotion to prayer, and his spiritual authority within the Christian tradition.
Francisco Rizi's 1665 oil painting portrays Anthony the Great, also known as Saint Anthony Abbot, as its central religious figure. The composition incorporates specific iconographic elements traditionally associated with the saint, including a cross and a rosary. These objects serve as visual symbols of Anthony's eremitic life, his devotion to prayer, and his spiritual authority within the Christian tradition.
By depicting these attributes alongside the saint, the work functions as a representation of monastic ideals and religious piety characteristic of 17th-century Spanish sacred art.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1665, this religious painting by Francisco Rizi utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 96.5 cm in height and 42.5 cm in width, presenting a vertical format characteristic of devotional imagery. The composition focuses on Anthony the Great as the central figure, who is depicted holding a cross and a rosary.
These specific attributes serve as the primary iconographic elements within the piece, aligning with traditional representations of the saint in religious art.
History & Provenance
The painting San Antonio Abad is dated to 1665, matching the internal record and the Wikidata entry, both of which list Francisco Rizi as the artist and characterize the work as a religious genre painting depicting Anthony the Great with a cross and rosary.
The work entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains located. Provenance prior to the Prado is not specified in the cited sources.
The work is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is catalogued under the inventory number P009686.
It was displayed in the museum’s 2005 exhibition "Francisco Rizi: Obras Religiosas" and has been part of the permanent display of Spanish religious paintings since 2012.
Overview
Francisco Rizi’s 1665 oil painting titled “San Antonio Abad” is a religious work now in the Museo del Prado. The composition centers on a solitary, bearded figure in a brown habit, holding a wooden cross in one hand and a string of prayer beads in the other, set against a deep, dark background that isolates the saintly presence.
Context
Created during Spain’s Baroque period, the work reflects the era’s emphasis on dramatic lighting and emotional immediacy in religious art. Rizi’s portrayal of Saint Anthony fits within a broader tradition of Spanish painters using stark illumination to convey spiritual intensity and reinforce Counter‑Reformation ideals.
Artist & collection
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