Saint Dominic and Saint Francis Protecting the World from the Wrath of Christ

This large oil on canvas, painted by Rubens around 1619, was made for the high altar of the Dominican church of St Paul in Antwerp, and its tall vertical format reflects that purpose. The scene shows Christ above, nearly nude, brandishing a thunderbolt in anger, as if about to destroy the Earth. Before him, the Virgin kneels and intercedes, while the Father appears in the background, half hidden by a cloud, with a distant air. Below, saints and martyrs witness the scene: some raise tearful, pleading eyes, while others stand still, calm, trusting in their innocence. Saints Dominic and Francis, in the foreground, do not simply pray; they shield the globe and seem to challenge the Saviour. The serpent coiled around the world stands for sin, and the three bolts of lightning are usually read as the chief human vices.

The work is best understood through the idea of justice that runs through it: a divine justice above human laws, and a fallen humanity that can only appeal for mercy through intercession. The contrast of light is thoroughly Baroque. Christ is bathed in light, while the group of saints sits almost in shadow. Rubens treats a religious drama here with an intensity that is less often emphasised than the painterly qualities for which he is usually admired. A related composition is also known in Brussels, though it is less dramatic.

The canvas has had a turbulent history. Its upper curved section was probably added around 1670, when it was adapted to a new altarpiece. It was stolen from Antwerp in 1794 and reached the Louvre in 1795. It later suffered damage, including cracks, overpainting and insect attack, and was restored several times, most recently in the early 1990s. Today it is held in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon.

Painter

Peter Paul Rubens

Date

1619

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

565 × 365 cm

Museum

Louvre Museum, Paris

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Jesus Christ, Saint Dominic, Saint George, Francis of Assisi

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