Saint Thomas of Villanova (Siglo XVII) by Unknown artistSanta Clara Museum
Saint Thomas was born in the city of Villanueva de los Infantes, Spain. In 1555 he was named bishop of Valencia, the city where he died. This Augustinian was known for his mystical ecstasies and for his theological writings and sermons.
In this artwork we see several of his iconographic attributes.
The bishop’s cape, placed on top of on his Augustinian habit, alludes to the position he held in the Church. His head, surrounded by a halo, holds a miter.
In his left hand, Saint Thomas holds a cloth bag; on the right, a silver coin, signs of charity, for which he was recognized from a very young age.
This saint is usually shown giving charity to the poor. In this case, the person who receives the coins is a man dressed in old and worn clothes, located to the left of the image.
In the upper left corner of the painting, it is read: “S. TOMAS DEVILLANUEBA.”, inscription that indicates the identity of the saint.
In the lower right segment, we see a kneeling Augustinian: Isabel de Jesús, a Spanish saint, also recognized for her mystical experiences. Isabel, who wears a black habit, holds a crucifix in her left hand; a gray veil covers her head.
Towards the lower left corner of the painting, we see an inscription in red letters, this time with the name of the saint: “V.E ISABEL DE IHS”.
This work is an example of how the images served to disseminate exemplary models of Christian religiosity and virtue among the nuns of the old convent of Santa Clara and New Granada population.
Museum Director
María Constanza Toquica Clavijo
Museology
Manuel Amaya Quintero
Curation
Anamaría Torres Rodríguez
María Isabel Téllez Colmenares
Collection Management
Paula Ximena Guzmán López
Editorial
Tanit Barragán Montilla
Communications
Andrea Valentina Bastidas Cano
