The Blessed Giles Before Pope Gregory IX

The Blessed Giles Before Pope Gregory IX is part of a series of paintings the artist created for the convent of San Francisco in Seville, Spain. The paintings in this series depict miraculous events in the lives of Franciscan saints. The title of this work refers to a monk named Giles, also known as Giles of Assisi (1190–1262). The monk had reported experiencing states of spiritual ecstasy in which he levitated (rose up from the ground and floated in the air). When Pope Gregory IX heard about this miracle, he asked Giles to visit him so he could witness it himself. 

In this painting Giles’s head is illuminated by an unseen light source. The background is dark, which creates high contrast. This dramatic use of light and shadow was used by many Spanish and Italian painters in the 17th century. The inscription at the bottom of this work is written in Spanish. It briefly tells the story of Giles visiting the Pope. The text (translated to English) describes how “His faith and his love were so miraculous that, standing before the Pope in wonder, he was carried away in a divine ecstasy.”

Bartolomé Estéban Murillo was a Spanish baroque painter who spent most of his art career in Seville, Spain.

He is best known for his religious works. He also painted realistic portraits of women and children. The series of paintings he created for the convent of San Francisco in Seville was his first important art commission. These works established his reputation as an artist.

The red clothing Murillo depicted in this painting may have been fabric that was colored with a red-dye producing insect called cochineal. The Catholic Church designated red as the color of cardinals, or senior officials of the Church, in 1454. Cochineal was used to dye cardinals’ cassocks and hats red by 1588. It is unknown whether Murillo used cochineal-pigmented paint to create this portrait. He used at least two red pigments to depict the various shades of the fabric depicted in this painting. 

Red is the color of high-status individuals in many cultures. In ancient China, Egypt, and Rome, the color red was reserved for figures of power and authority. Red was officially claimed as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s blood and sacrifice, but the color red represented leadership long before Christianity.