St. Francis Xavier
PLACE/DATE
Portugal (namban influence), ca. 1600
MATERIALS
Painted and gilt wood
DIMENSIONS
114 x 52 x 27 cm
INV
ESC.92
Coming from the Church and former Professed house of São Roque, the first house of the Society of Jesus established in Portugal, this and another sculpture of St. Ignatius of Loyola with which it is combined stand out as erudite representations of the two holy founders of that religious order, both of whom have a sober and dignified posture, in keeping with their condition.
In addition to the scale, almost life-size, the upholstered decoration of the inside of the cloak worn by St. Francis Xavier deserves special attention. It reveals the inclusion of plant motifs of Japanese oriental influence, perhaps through Nanban art. From the posture and traditional iconography, it is presumed that, originally, St. Francis would have held a cross, his main attribute as an apostle of the Indies and one of the most represented figures during the Portuguese missionary action of the 17th and 18th centuries.
