Artwork
San Fernando arrodillado
San Fernando arrodillado is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist Juan de Valdés Leal. It dates from 1675 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Consistent with its classification as a work of religious art, the subject is portrayed kneeling, a posture that visually communicates humility and piety.
The painting depicts Ferdinand III of Castile, also known as Saint Ferdinand, captured in a moment of religious devotion. Consistent with its classification as a work of religious art, the subject is portrayed kneeling, a posture that visually communicates humility and piety. This iconographic choice emphasizes the monarch's role as a devout Christian ruler, aligning his earthly authority with spiritual submission.
The work serves as a representation of sanctified royalty, focusing on the king's personal faith rather than his military or political achievements.
Technique & Style
Juan de Valdés Leal painted San Fernando arrodillado in oil on canvas in 1675, depicting the kneeling Ferdinand III of Castille. The work measures 105 cm in height and 73 cm in width, reflecting a religious composition characteristic of 17th-century Spanish painting.
The painting is part of the Museo del Prado collection in Madrid, where it is studied for its dynamic brushwork and dramatic chiaroscuro, exemplifying the religious genre of the period.
History & Provenance
Juan de Valdés Leal painted San Fernando arrodillado in 1675 as an oil on canvas work measuring 105 cm by 73 cm. The painting entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it has remained since its creation. Its subject depicts Ferdinand III of Castille in a devotional pose, reflecting the religious genre typical of 17th‑century Spanish art.
San Fernando arrodillado is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is catalogued as an oil-on-canvas religious painting by Juan de Valdés Leal.
The work entered the museum's holdings and is documented in its records as a 1675 depiction of Ferdinand III of Castile, measuring 105 cm in height and 73 cm in width.
No specific exhibition history beyond its presence in the Museo del Prado collection is documented in the available sources.
Overview
San Fernando arrodillado is an oil painting executed in 1675 by the Spanish Baroque artist Juan de Valdés Leal. The work portrays the medieval monarch Ferdinand III of Castile, rendered in a solitary pose against a turbulent sky. Currently, the canvas is part of the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
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Artist & collection
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Apparition of Saint Isidore to Saint Ferdinand, king, before the walls of Seville
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Vision of St Gregory (?)
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