Luca Giordano (Naples 1634-1705)

This spirited sketch is one of the bozzetti for the fresco cycle in the church of San Antonio de los Portugueses in Madrid, executed by Giordano between 1698 and 1700. The frescoes, showing scenes from the life of Saint Anthony, are designed to imitate tapestries being held aloft by angels and putti, with allegorical figures beneath. This canvas is one of six known bozzetti, all finished with typical virtuosity; the others are in the Auckland City Art Gallery; the National Gallery, London; the Musee Magnin, Dijon; one was formerly with Hazlitt, London; and another previously in the collection of Aldo Briganti, Rome.

The episode shown here took place in Bourges. A heretic called Guillard told Saint Anthony that he would believe that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist only if his mule bowed down to it. The mule was starved for three days, after which time, ignoring its own extreme hunger, it went before the Eucharist and knelt down to adore the Blessed Sacrament, instead of taking food from Guillard. After his conversion he went on to found the church of Saint-Pierre-le Guillard in Bourges.