76 - A follower of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617–1682); 18th century.

A follower of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617–1682); 18th century. “Saint Francis.” Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 160 x 106 cm; 175 x 119 cm (frame). Depiction of Saint Francis of Assisi kneeling in a posture of deep prayer and contemplation, following one of the most widespread iconographic models associated with the early work of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The saint appears immersed in a dark, cavernous setting, with his hands clasped and his face raised toward a source of light that suggests the divine presence. At his feet, a skull serves as an explicit reference to the transience of earthly existence and to meditation on death. The treatment of the figure reflects a naturalistic approach to religious painting, in which emotion is conveyed through restrained means and recognizable gestures. The painting follows the compositional model of *Saint Francis of Assisi in Prayer*, created by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo around 1645–1650 and housed in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp in Belgium. This prototype belongs to the Sevillian artist’s early period, when his pictorial language was still closely linked to tenebrist naturalism, before evolving toward the luminous, ethereal compositions with greater chromatic softness that would characterize his mature work. In this early phase, Murillo demonstrated a particular ability to depict Franciscan spirituality through figures of intense human character, set in contemplative and dimly lit environments. This painting precisely captures that sensibility, as well as the figure’s pose and the expressive techniques that made this model particularly recognizable. The version cataloged here, painted in the 18th century by a follower of the master, is an example of the enduring influence of Murillo’s style and the prestige that Sevillian painting continued to enjoy in European religious circles.