Lot 08

František Karel Palko (1724 - 1767) (follower) DEATH OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER

An interesting religious scene depicts the final stage of the life of Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Society of Jesus. Francis Xavier was the first to attempt to bring the Protestant faith to South and East Asia. He fell seriously ill and died during his mission in China, where he was temporarily buried and later transferred to India. For this reason, some painters depict him with a pilgrim's staff and hat, and Chinese and Indian people appear as background figures at the moment of his death. There is an analogy to this work in the form of a graphic sheet by Francesco Bartolozzi.