Artwork
Saint Francis of Assisi kneeling in meditation
Saint Francis of Assisi kneeling in meditation is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist Mariana de la Cueva Benavides y Barradas. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject depicted is Saint Francis of Assisi shown kneeling in meditation, a scene that embodies contemplative devotion within the Franciscan tradition.
The subject depicted is Saint Francis of Assisi shown kneeling in meditation, a scene that embodies contemplative devotion within the Franciscan tradition. Iconographic elements include a skull, a book, and a crucifix, each symbolizing mortality, knowledge, and the sacrificial nature of Christ, reinforcing themes of humility and spiritual reflection. The work originates from 1664 and is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it functions as a devotional piece within the broader corpus of religious art.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for religious paintings of the period. Its dimensions measure 137 cm in height by 101 cm in width, reflecting a large-scale devotional format typical of 17th‑century Spanish religious art. The composition presents Saint Francis in a kneeling pose, surrounded by iconographic elements such as a skull, a book, and a crucifix, which together emphasize themes of mortality, learning, and divine devotion. These formal choices underscore a Baroque stylistic approach marked by dramatic chiaroscuro and intimate emotional expression.
History & Provenance
The painting is dated to 1664, a date supported by both the internal record and the Wikidata entry. It was created by Mariana de la Cueva Benavides y Barradas and is now held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. No information about the work's commission, prior owners, or creation circumstances beyond the date and artist is provided in the available sources.
Saint Francis of Assisi kneeling in meditation is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. The painting, executed in oil on canvas and dated 1664, measures 137 cm in height by 101 cm in width. According to the Wikidata record, the work is part of the museum's holdings, with the institution listed as both the collection and the location of the piece.
No exhibition history or specific inventory or accession number is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1664 by the Granadan painter Mariana de la Cueva Benavides y Barradas, this oil on canvas portrays Saint Francis of Assisi in a moment of quiet devotion. The composition places the saint kneeling before a dimly lit backdrop, his gaze directed inward, while symbolic objects, a crucifix, a skull, and an open book, occupy the space to his right. The work is part of the Prado Museum’s collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mariana de la Cueva Benavides y Barradas
Mariana de la Cueva Benavides y Barradas (Guadix, 1623- Granada, 1688) was a Spanish painter born into a wealthy family in Granada.
