Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis de Paul, and Saint Peter penitent. Oil painting by a Spanish painter, 17th (?) century.

This anamorphic painting contains three views of saints: Saint Francis of Assisi wearing the habit of the Franciscan order and having a tonsure and stigmata; Saint Francis de Paul, founder of the Franciscan Minorites or Brothers Minor, holding a cartellino inscribed 'Charitas'; and Saint Peter, penitent, with two tears on his cheek. Paintings of this type were called 'perspective' or 'turning' pictures in the 16th and 17th centuries and the work may be from either century. A painting with three views may be called a triscenorama. This painting is either from Spain or Naples as Saint Francis da Paola was an order of Franciscan monks from Paola near Naples

[Spain?]

1 painting : anamorphic, oil on wood ; wood 45 x 36.5 x 2.5 cm

Charitas

Allan Shickman, '"Turning pictures" in Shakespeare's England', The art bulletin, March 1977, vol LIX, no. 1, pp. 67-70; Allan Shickman, 'A turning picture in Shakespeare's "Othello"', Notes and queries, April 1978, pp. 145-146, followed by Allan Shickman, 'Readers' queries: Turning pictures or perspectives', ibid., p. 160, and W. Schupbach, 'Replies: Turning pictures or perspectives', Notes and queries, February 1979, vol. 224, pp. 50-51

Zahira Veliz, Artists' techniques in Golden Age Spain, Cambridge 1987, p. 15

Wellcome Library no. 44784i