Saint Peter Nolasco's Vision of Saint Peter the Apostle facts for kids
Saint Peter Nolasco's Vision of Saint Peter the Apostle is a famous painting created in 1629 by the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán. Today, you can see this artwork at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. The painting is signed by the artist at the bottom, which reads FRANCISCUS Đ ZURBARAN/ FACIEBAT. 1629..
The painting shows a special moment where Peter the Apostle appears to Peter Nolasco. Saint Peter the Apostle is shown upside-down, which is how he was traditionally believed to have been crucified. Saint Peter Nolasco was the founder of a religious group called the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. This group had an important job: they helped free Christian people who had been captured and made slaves by Muslim owners during a time in Spanish history called the Reconquista. Peter Nolasco had hoped to travel to Rome to visit Saint Peter's tomb. When he couldn't make the trip, Saint Peter appeared to him in a vision. In this vision, Saint Peter told Nolasco to continue his work in Spain. This painting is often seen together with another work by Zurbarán, The Vision of Saint Peter Nolasco, which shows Saint Peter Nolasco dreaming of a heavenly city.
Contents
About the Painting
When It Was Made
Both Saint Peter Nolasco's Vision of Saint Peter the Apostle and The Vision of Saint Peter Nolasco were painted in 1629. This was just one year after Peter Nolasco was officially recognized as a saint, a process called canonization.
Where It Was First Placed
The paintings were originally made for the Convent of Mercy in Seville, Spain. This was the very place that Peter Nolasco himself had founded. Today, that same building is home to the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville.
Part of a Bigger Project
These two paintings were part of a much larger project. The monastery ordered 22 paintings from different artists to celebrate Nolasco becoming a saint. Out of these 22 artworks, only eleven are still known to exist today.
How It Got to the Prado Museum
In 1808, a man named Manuel López Cepero, who was an important church leader in Seville Cathedral, bought the painting. Thirteen years later, in 1821, he gave it as a gift to Ferdinand VII of Spain, who was the king at the time. Eventually, the painting became part of the collection at the Prado Museum, where it can be seen by visitors from all over the world.
See also
In Spanish: Aparición de san Pedro a san Pedro Nolasco para niños
