Saint Romanus of Antioch and Saint Barulas

1638

Francisco de Zurbarán created this painting for a church in Seville, Spain, dedicated to Saint Romanus of Antioch. Here, Romanus holds up his own tongue, torn out by his tormentors, and grasps a massive book inscribed with a prayer for the faithful. Painted to support the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church’s response to the Protestant movement, Zurbarán aimed to make the saints accessible to everyday people.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Francisco de Zurbarán (Spanish, 1598–1664)

Date

1638

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

246.5 × 185.4 cm (97 1/16 × 73 in.)

Origin

Spain

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Chauncey McCormick and Mrs. Richard E. Danielson