Wood St. Anthony

by Private Collections

Size: 42"

The Anthony & Virginia Florez Collection

Hand-carved in wood, this image of Saint Anthony of Padua is especially beloved, depicting him with the Christ Child and in a particularly touching way. The Child Jesus tenderly puts his hand on the saint’s face, as if to simultaneously embrace him and bless him.
It is an image that evokes a child’s love toward his parent and the parent's love toward his child. As a matter of fact, statues have depicted this scene ever since the 17th century. Stories of the saint's life tell that one night the Divine Child visited Anthony, kissed him and told him that He loved him. In that visitation, Anthony was entrusted with the Child Jesus.