Saint Francis Xavier

These sculptures which make up a pair originated from the Professed House of São Roque. They are considered the most elaborate representations of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Francis Xavier, due to their delicate and harmonious proportions, which reveal on one hand the typical Portuguese Mannerist style, introduced by the grand French masters settled in Portugal during the fifteen hundreds, conveying, on the other hand, the great symbolic and devotional tradition of the Middle Ages.
The gilt wood carving is characterised by a “cross breed” plastic conception, with a marked influence from Japanese Art, that is probably due to Portuguese workshop with a clear oriental influence.