Artwork
Saint Clare Driving Away the Infidels with the Eucharist
Saint Clare Driving Away the Infidels with the Eucharist is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist Isidoro Arredondo. It dates from 1697 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Isidoro Arredondo’s 1697 oil painting, Saint Clare Driving Away the Infidels with the Eucharist, portrays a dramatic encounter between the saint and a hostile crowd. The composition centers on a cloistered woman in a dark habit, illuminated by the radiant host she holds, while a fallen soldier and a gathering of armed figures surround her on a stairwell beneath a red drapery.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents Saint Clare of Assisi confronting an invading force, using the consecrated Eucharist as a symbolic shield. The saint’s gesture of offering the glowing sacrament suggests the triumph of faith over violence, a theme resonant with Counter‑Reformation ideals that emphasized the protective power of the holy communion.
Technique & Style
Executed in the tenebrist vein of Spanish Baroque, Arredondo employs stark chiaroscuro to heighten the scene’s emotional intensity. The deep black of the habit contrasts sharply with the golden light emanating from the host, casting a focused glow on the saint’s face and the fallen soldier, while the surrounding figures recede into shadow.
History & Provenance
Arredondo, a pupil of José García Hidalgo and later Francisco Rizi, secured the position of court painter to Charles II in 1685. This commission, created two years later, reflects his mature style and the royal patronage that supported his religious works during the late seventeenth century.
Context
The painting aligns with the broader Spanish Baroque tendency to depict saints as active agents in spiritual warfare. By portraying Saint Clare wielding the Eucharist against hostile forces, Arredondo reinforces the era’s emphasis on the sacraments as defensive and salvific powers amid ongoing religious conflict.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Isidoro Arredondo (1655–1702), an eminent Spanish painter, was born at Colmenar de Oreja, in 1653.
