Italian school (XVII) - Coppia Immagini Sacre

Pair of oval-shaped paintings.

The painting depicts Saint Francis of Paola, founder of the Order of Minims.
Identification is confirmed by distinctive iconographic elements present in the work: the motto "CHARITAS": Visible in the radiant disk at the top right, it is the inspirational motto and the emblem of the order founded by him.

The appearance: The saint is traditionally depicted as an old hermit with a long white beard, a dark habit and often accompanied by a staff.

Iconography: The scene shows the saint in prayer, with his gaze raised upward in a moment of ecstasy or mystical vision.

Characteristics of the work
Similar works, often made as small oils on canvas or on copper between the 17th and 18th centuries, have been attributed to artists of the Neapolitan or Emilian school. Saint Francis of Paola is the patron saint of Calabria and of seafarers.

The painting depicts the mystical vision of Saint Paschal Baylon (or Baylón), a Francisan friar known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist.
In the work, the saint is represented kneeling, with arms stretched upward in an attitude of adoration, while receiving the consecrated host (or the Eucharist) from the hands of the Child Jesus who appears to him in a vision. Oval or round paintings of this type, made as oil on panel or copper, were common in the 18th and 19th centuries for private devotional purposes.

Key details related to this type of iconography:
Identification of the Saint: Although it may resemble Saint Anthony of Padua (also a Franciscan and often depicted with the Child), the specific presence of the host or the monstrance is a distinctive attribute of Saint Paschal Baylon, patron of Eucharistic congresses.

Style and Period: The painting technique and the gilded beaded frame suggest a production date between the 18th and 19th centuries.