Saint Dominic in Penitence 1602 - 1612

Filippo Tarchiani painted “Saint Dominic in Penitence” sometime between 1620 and 1645, using oil on canvas. It is a work that reflects the values of its time, but how might we view it today? Paintings like this are revealing of the period’s religious intensity and its social structures. Dominic is shown as an ascetic figure, which speaks to the period's emphasis on piety and self-denial as a means to spiritual grace. Yet, there is also an undeniable sensuality in the way Tarchiani renders his body. What does it mean to depict religious devotion with such physicality? Saint Dominic was a white, male, religious figure: his identity reflects the dominance of those roles within the period. The work seems to demand that we meditate on the nature of sacrifice and penance and perhaps, to question for whom such acts are deemed necessary or virtuous. This painting, while seemingly traditional, invites us to consider the complex interplay between faith, the body, and social identity.