Who painted Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts?

Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts was painted by Miguel Jacinto Meléndez in 1734.

Where can I see Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts?

Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts is held by Museo del Prado.

What movement is Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts?

Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts is associated with Rococo painting.

Artwork

Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts

Miguel Jacinto Meléndez , 1734

Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Miguel Jacinto Meléndez. It dates from 1734 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. Executed in 1734, this oil on canvas portrays Saint Augustine confronting a devastating swarm of locusts.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The imagery represents the triumph of spiritual authority over destructive natural forces, framing the event within a religious narrative context.

The painting depicts Saint Augustine of Hippo engaged in the act of vanquishing a plague of locusts. As a work of religious art created in 1734 by Miguel Jacinto Meléndez, the subject centers on the saint's intervention against this specific biblical or hagiographic calamity. The imagery represents the triumph of spiritual authority over destructive natural forces, framing the event within a religious narrative context.

Technique & Style

Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for Spanish religious painting of the period. The work is a religious composition classified as a painting, depicting Augustine of Hippo in the act of vanquishing the plague of locusts. Its broad horizontal format, with a width of 147 cm considerably exceeding its height of 85 cm, suits a narrative subject requiring lateral space for the saint's gesture against the swarm and the surrounding figures or landscape.

The use of oil allows for the blended modeling and tonal depth characteristic of the medium in early eighteenth-century Spanish devotional imagery.

History & Provenance

Miguel Jacinto Meléndez created the oil painting Saint Augustine vanquishing the Plague of Locusts in 1734. Executed on canvas, the work depicts Augustine of Hippo within a religious context. The piece currently resides in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is held as part of the institution's holdings.

No specific details regarding the original commission or intermediate ownership history prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.

Overview

Executed in 1734, this oil on canvas portrays Saint Augustine confronting a devastating swarm of locusts. The composition centers the bishop‑theologian in solemn attire, his staff and book poised as symbols of authority and learning, while the insects descend in a chaotic mass behind him. The work is part of the Prado Museum’s collection in Madrid.