Ancient Painting 17th Century Oil on Canvas Portrait of Saint Francis of Assisi 1 B. Roman

  

Rare old painting "Saint Francis in Prayer," Spanish school? A very similar painting is currently in my sales. A single shipping charge if both are purchased (see last photo). Beautiful painting on canvas, it is old, predating the 19th century, very likely from the 17th century, depicting Saint Francis of Assisi in prayer. It could be a fragment cut from a larger work, such as a Vanitas.

No visible signature, perhaps a good attribution to be researched. It may have been re-canvas or reinforced (the back of the frame does not seem original to me). It appears to have undergone restorations; on the right, there is a mass of material that is duller than the rest of the painting. Is it a detail that was meant to be concealed, or a somewhat clumsy restoration of the canvas? In this case, what we see behind might only be a reinforcement of the original canvas? The canvas shows distortions; it has either been heavily starched or it is glued onto a panel that is itself reinforced at the back with another canvas. Despite these time-related damages, this work has retained its great expressive value and beauty and deserves a good restoration. It may be from an Italian school, where Saint Francis is sometimes depicted beardless.

Ecstasy of Saint Francis, detail, Settignano, Villa i Tatti. However, one cannot help but think of a Spanish school due to strong analogies and similarities with the Saint Francis works of Zurbarán, Luis de Morales, or even El Greco or Bartolomé Román. It is housed in a later period frame, heavy, made of solid wood and stucco. Dimensions of painting visible 24X20 cm.

I have taken a maximum of photos (with flash and without) so that you can get a more precise idea of this painting. For antique dealers, interior decorators, and collectors of old religious paintings. Please examine the photo and the comments carefully before bidding. Feel free to ask me questions.

I invite you to see my other sales.