**Originally Listed At $1000**

Spanish Colonial, Mexico, ca. 18th century CE. A touching large-scale oil painting depicting a Spanish Franciscan monk looking upward with teary eyes, his hands clasped in prayer, a gospel and white lily on the table beside him. The blue robe shown in this painting is not surprising for Franciscans of this time period, as Spanish Franciscans favored blue robes which symbolized their steadfast devotion to the immaculateness of the Virgin Mary. It was not until the papal decree of 1897 that brown became the universal color of Franciscan habits. The eight-pointed star above the subject's head and the white lily are also symbolic of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic tradition. The rich, deep colors and dramatic chiaroscuro - a treatment of light and shade that results in strong, theatrical contrasts between light and shadow- as well as the sense that the artist has chosen the most climactic moment of this event - are all quintessential characteristics of Baroque art which was meant to evoke passion and emotion rather than the tranquil, serene ideal favored during the Renaissance. Size: 29.375" L x 24.25" W (74.6 cm x 61.6 cm)

Provenance: private San Francisco, California, USA collection

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#125962

Original stretchers. Back of canvas has darkened with age and shows some staining. The painting shows areas of loss, most at the peripheries, small areas of touch up at the peripheries, and wonderful craquelure throughout.