17th-Century, Diego De Borgraf (Circle), The Death Of St Francis Xavier

View Similar Items

Joseph Heintz - Amor Cutting Bow, Parmigianino, Old Master, Mannerism, Prague, Large Painting

Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato - Madonna Addolorata By Sassoferrato

Follower of Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) - The Tooth-Puller (Il Cavadenti) - Oil on Canvas by Follower of Caravaggio

Jan Boeckhorst - Boeckhorst, Rubens, Saint Ursula, Decorative Old Master, Woman, Baroque, Flemish

Giovanni Francesco Romanelli - St. John the Baptist pointing out (revealing) Christ

Louis Chéron - 18th century oil sketches for a Baroque interior - a pair

Jan Jozef Horemans, The Younger - 1760 Flemish Baroque oil painting. Romantic scene. Signed and dated.

Ippolito Borghese - To the Calvary with Madaleine - Oil on Canvas by Ippolito Borghese - Early 1600

Simon de Vos - Christ Carrying the Cross, Old Master, Flemish, De Vos, Religious Scene, Rubens

Erasmus Quellinus the Younger - Continence of Scipio, Erasmus Quellinus, School Rubens, Baroque Art, Old Master

Jusepe de Ribera - Saint Bartholomew, Old Master, Oil Print, Ribera, Figurative Art, Spanish Art

Girolamo Negri called Il Boccia - G Negri called Il Boccia Baroque Figurative Painting 17th century oil canvas

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 13

17th-Century, Diego De Borgraf (Circle), The Death Of St Francis Xavier
c. 1680

About the Item

This late 17th-century oil painting from the circle of Flemish painter Diego de Borgraf (1618-1686) depicts the death of St Francis Xavier, a Roman Catholic missionary. Stylistically, it’s highly reminiscent of Spanish colonial art produced in Mexico and de Borgraf is considered the first Baroque painter in Puebla. Diego de Borgraf arrived in Mexico in 1640 having travelled over with Bishop Don Juan de Palafox and fellow artist Pedro Garcia Ferrer (1583–1660). His task was monumental, to decorate the newly constructed Basilica Cathedral of Puebla with various religious works to educate and inform the local region. Where would you start in such an impressive and vast building? Can you imagine the planning and various discussions? Somewhat fortunately for de Borgraf, in 1640, numerous European prints already existed covering various religious subjects and these became an aid for some of his groundwork. However, given the task at hand, he still required the assistance of others and hence, established a workshop where he trained apprentices and students. St Francis Xavier was born in the Basque region of Spain in 1506. Following a period of teaching philosophy in Paris, he undertook missionary work in Asia. He died from a fever in 1552 and was canonized by Pope Gregory V in 1622. Here, we see the Saint in transition, at the moment of death, wearing the black habit of the Society of Jesus. He looks up to the heavens and clutches a crucifix. During the 17th century, St Francis Xavier was depicted by various artists working in Mexico but, of the paintings readily available to view, Diego de Borgraf’s sits closest stylistically. With this in mind, it’s plausible that the artist either worked in his circle or was trained by his hand. We made contact with an organisation in California (PESSCA) which maintains an online collection of prints relating to Spanish colonial art. Officials there managed to locate an engraving very similar in terms of content. Established in 2017, Brave Fine Art is a premier English art dealership based in Cheltenham with clients including national galleries and country estates. Our team includes a conservator, logistics specialist and art historian. Over 1,000 paintings have been transported to the US and Canada safely with hundreds of glowing reviews. We set our prices fairly from the start as we prefer to sell quickly and continually evolve the collection. Around 40 new discoveries are added every month. If you have any questions at all, we’d love to hear from you.

Creation Year:
c. 1680
Dimensions:
Height: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)Width: 39 in (99.06 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Oil
Movement & Style:
Baroque
Circle Of:
Diego De Borgraf (1618 - 1686, Flemish)
Period:
17th Century
Condition:
Craquelure but the paint is stable. General age-related discolouration. Two old repairs.
Gallery Location:
Cheltenham, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2328211655882

More Ways To Browse

Francis The First

17th Century Fine Art

Antique Mexican Art

Plan De Paris

Paintings Set In The 17th Century

Antique Paintings Of Jesus

Mexico Religious

17th Century Spanish Art

Spanish 17th Painting