Bidspirit auction | Saint Anthony of Padua with

Saint Anthony of Padua with the Child Jesus. Cuzco School. 18th Century. - Oil on canvas. Dimensions 94 × 69 cm. Celestial representation of Saint Anthony of Padua levitating on clouds, carrying the Christ Child on a book. In his other hand, he holds a flowering staff, a symbol of purity. Cherubs float around the scene amidst golden clouds. The Child appears crowned with glory, alluding to his divinity. The composition and color palette, with its predominance of blues and ochres, as well as the delicate modeling of the faces, are characteristic of the Cuzco School. The painting conveys a feeling of mystical ecstasy typical of the colonial Baroque.