Saint Onuphrius

This sculpture likely formed part of the altarpiece that Damià Forment was commissioned to create in 1520 for the main chapel at the Dominican Convent in Zaragoza. It represents Saint Onuphrius: an Egyptian hermit who died around the year 400. The piece is exquisitely carved, with the saint's expressive face complemented by his curly beard and long hair falling down to his ankles. He wears a short, skirt-like garment made of ivy, which is one of his characteristic features. The figure is in a contrapposto stance, giving him a sense of recollection and gravity. The artist clearly has a deep understanding of Renaissance techniques given his anatomical study of the figure's musculature and the finish.