San Benito bendiciendo a san Mauro

Juan Rizi painted San Benito bendiciendo a san Mauro in 1601 as an oil on canvas work measuring 188 cm by 166 cm. The painting entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display.

The work depicts Saint Benedict extending his blessing toward Saint Maurus, a subject rooted in Benedictine tradition. Its creation coincides with the early Baroque period in Spain, reflecting devotional themes common in Counter-Reformation art.

The painting was produced during Rizi's mature period, shortly after his time at the Escorial, and demonstrates his engagement with Counter-Reformation iconography. It was acquired directly by the Museo del Prado upon its establishment as part of the royal collection.

The painting San Benito bendiciendo a san Mauro by Juan Rizi is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work, executed in oil on canvas, depicts Benedict of Nursia and Saint Maurus. While the inception is noted as 1601, the museum's records also associate the piece with the year 1700.

The provided sources do not contain specific inventory or accession numbers for this artwork. Furthermore, no exhibition history is documented in the available references.

Created in 1601 by the Spanish Benedictine monk Juan Andrés Ricci de Guevara, known as Juan Rizi, this oil painting presents a solemn religious scene. The work, titled San Benito bendiciendo a san Mauro, is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection. It reflects the early Baroque aesthetic that was then spreading from Italy to the Iberian Peninsula.

Rizi’s work reflects the broader diffusion of Italian Baroque visual language into Spain at the turn of the 17th century. The emphasis on dramatic lighting, emotional expression, and narrative clarity aligns with Counter‑Reformation objectives, aiming to inspire devotion through accessible, yet theatrically composed, sacred imagery.