Saint Rosalie Interceding for the Plague-stricken of Palermo
Van Dyck was in Palermo, Sicily, when a plague broke out and the city was quarantined. In their despair, residents prayed to the city’s twelfth-century patroness, Saint Rosalie, whose long-lost remains were rediscovered in the midst of the epidemic. Images of Saint Rosalie were in great demand; this one was painted by Van Dyck on top of a self-portrait that he had sketched on the canvas. Acquired in 1871, this was one of the first European paintings to enter The Met collection.
Artwork Details
- Title: Saint Rosalie Interceding for the Plague-stricken of Palermo
- Artist: Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, Antwerp 1599–1641 London)
- Date: 1624
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 39 1/4 x 29 in. (99.7 x 73.7 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, 1871
- Object Number: 71.41
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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