St. Francis Xavier

This statuette represents Saint Francis Xavier.

St Jesuit Francis Xavier (1506-52) was one of the original followers of Ignatius of Loyola and pioneered Christian missionary work in the Far East. This is a relatively late example of a representation of the saint, who is frequently seen in Counter-Reformation art.

The figure can be compared with 18th century Andalusian sculpture, such as that of Seville sculptor Christóbal Ramos (1725-1799) or the Granada sculptor Torcuato Ruiz del Peral (1708-1773).