Pietro Malombra

St Stanislaus Raising a Dead Man, with St Hyacinth Kneeling before the Trinity Above

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About this artwork

This is the only drawing by Malombra that can be firmly connected to one of his paintings. It is a preparatory study for an altarpiece of the same subject for the altar of the Polish Nation in the Basilica of St Anthony (the Santo) in Padua. This was one of Malombra’s most prestigious commissions. The cloaked figure in the foreground is Stanislaus Szczepanowski, Bishop of Cracow and patron saint of Poland. He is shown raising a youth called Piotrawin from the dead. In the background, Piotrawin defends Stanislaus before the Polish king, who had falsely accused Stanislaus of seizing royal lands. The scene of St Hyacinth above is unconnected to the story of Stanislaus, but his presence on the altar is justified as he was a popular Polish missionary who had recently been canonised.

Updated before 2020

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Pietro Malombra

Pietro Malombra