Artwork
Madonna Appears to Saint Simon Stock
Madonna Appears to Saint Simon Stock is an oil painting by Lucas Franchoys the Younger. It dates from 1658 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Overview
The composition is anchored in a dark interior, illuminated by the figures’ garments and a small cherubic presence in the upper left.
Created circa 1658 by the Flemish artist Lucas Franchoys the Younger, this oil painting portrays a devotional encounter between the Virgin Mary and the 13th‑century Carmelite Saint Simon Stock. The composition is anchored in a dark interior, illuminated by the figures’ garments and a small cherubic presence in the upper left. The work is part of the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts the legendary vision in which the Virgin, clothed in a vivid red mantle, presents the infant Christ to the kneeling Saint Simon Stock. The saint, garbed in a white habit, looks upward in reverence, while a tiny angel hovers above, underscoring the heavenly endorsement of the Carmelite order’s devotion to Mary.
Technique & Style
Franchoys employs the rich, layered application of oil paint typical of the Baroque period, using deep chiaroscuro to model the figures against a tenebrous background. The contrast between the luminous red dress and the stark white habit highlights the central interaction, while the subtle glazes give the drapery a tactile quality reminiscent of Anthony van Dyck’s courtly portraiture.
History & Provenance
The painting remained in ecclesiastical contexts before entering the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it is displayed among other 17th‑century Flemish religious works. Its attribution to Franchoys the Younger aligns with his known output of altarpieces and portraiture, confirming his role in the artistic life of Mechelen during the mid‑Baroque era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Franchoys the Younger or Lucas Franchoys II (28 June 1616 in Mechelen – 3 April 1681 in Mechelen) was a Flemish Baroque painter from Mechelen, who painted numerous altarpieces and portraits in a style reminiscent of Anthony van Dyck.
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