The Conversion and Baptism of St. Augustine by St. Ambrose

Artist: Juan de Valdés Leal, Spanish, 1622–1690
Date: 1673
Material: Oil on canvas
made in: Spain, Europe
Classification: Paintings
Collection: European Art to 1800
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 65 1/8 in. × 43 in. (165.4 × 109.2 cm)
framed: 77 1/4 × 54 7/8 × 3 3/4 in. (196.2 × 139.4 × 9.5 cm)
Credit Line: Museum Purchase
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 1:1964

NOTES

Energetic brushwork, rich color contrasts, and an angled view into the church interior enliven this image of two important events in a Christian saint’s life. The painting was one of seven canvases portraying the life of St. Ambrose (c.334/340–397), bishop of Milan, all painted by Juan de Valdés Leal. This painting formed part of a decorative group for the lower oratory of the Archbishop’s Palace in Seville, Spain. It depicts St. Ambrose converting St. Augustine to Christianity in the foreground, and Augustine’s subsequent baptism on April 24, 387, in the background at right.

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