Saint Bruno Refuses the Archbishopric of Reggio di Calabria

Friar Manuel Bayeu (1740–1809), the middle brother of the Bayeu family, became a Carthusian monk at the Charterhouse of Aula Dei (Cartuja de Aula Dei). He later moved to the Charterhouse of Nuestra Señora de las Fuentes in Lanaja, close to Sariñena in Huesca, where he completed various works for its rooms. It was there that he painted his best-known work, a series of 17 canvases, using a very personal and uninhibited style. Dated around 1779, they are dedicated to the life of Saint Bruno, who founded the Carthusian Order, and are kept at the Huesca Museum. This canvas depicts Saint Bruno at the center of the composition, kneeling in front of the Pope in his Carthusian habit, turning down the position of bishop.