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Claudio Coello (Spanish, 1642-1693)
The Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua, 1663
Oil on canvas, 67 x 50-1/2 inches
Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

A prolific painter of altarpieces, fresco cycles, and portraits, Coello ranked among the most prominent artists working in Madrid during the final decades of the 17th century. His dynamic, colorful late Baroque style - fully revealed in the exuberant Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua - eventually earned him the patronage of the Spanish Crown. In 1683 he was made official painter to King Charles II and three years later assumed the even more prestigious position of painter to the king's chamber.

Anthony of Padua (d. 1231) was among the most revered of the Franciscan saints. His following was especially strong in Catholic Spain, where artists were repeatedly called upon to illustrate the miracles associated with his life, including his visionary encounter with the infant Christ. According to legend, Anthony's vision occurred while he was explaining the mystery of the Incarnation to listeners in his chamber. His talk was interrupted by a miraculous visit from the Christ Child, who alighted on the saint's book. In the painting Anthony, dressed appropriately in the habit of a Franciscan monk, kneels in wonder before the infant Savior, who descends upon a cloud of cherubs as helpful angels fetch the saint's book from the background. The transparent globe the Child straddles is an age-old symbol of his worldly dominion. The lilies at left are one of Anthony's saintly attributes, signifying his purity.

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