Artwork
Milagro de San Francisco de Paula
Milagro de San Francisco de Paula is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist José Jiménez Donoso. It dates from 1688 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
José Jiménez Donoso's 1688 painting, Milagro de San Francisco de Paula, is an oil on canvas work characteristic of the Spanish Baroque tenebrist style. It is now held in the Museo del Prado.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts Saint Francis of Paola performing a miracle. A man lies on the ground, surrounded by onlookers, as a building burns in the background. The saint, dressed in dark clothes, appears to be giving the man an object, possibly a key or book, amidst a dramatic display of emotion.
Technique & Style
Donoso's use of chiaroscuro creates a dramatic atmosphere, with strong contrasts between light and dark. The artist's experience with quadratura is evident in the painting's spatial and perspectival techniques, adding depth to the busy scene.
Context
As a Spanish Baroque painter, Donoso was influenced by the tenebrist movement, which emphasized dramatic lighting. Saint Francis of Paola, a 15th-century Italian friar, was known for his miracles, making him a fitting subject for a work showcasing Donoso's skill with narrative and emotional intensity.
Artist & collection
Artist
José Jiménez Donoso (c.1632, Consuegra – 14 September 1690, Madrid) was a Spanish Baroque architect and painter. He decorated many of his own buildings, using the Italian technique of quadratura.
La Presentación de la Virgen en el Templo
Última comunión de san Jerónimo o El viático de san Jerónimo
Nymphe Liriope bringt ihren Sohn Narcissus zu Tiresias
Burial of St Petronilla
Saint John the Evangelist Reviving Drusiana
Adoration of the Magi
Devout Men Taking the Body of Saint Stephen
Anbetung der Hirten
The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine
Jesus Washing Peter's Feet
The Birth of the Virgin- La Presentación de la Virgen en el Templo