Saint Rosalia and the Hunter

Andrea Badami, Saint Rosalia and the Hunter, 1970-1973, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.98
Copied Andrea Badami, Saint Rosalia and the Hunter, 1970-1973, oil on canvas, 38 7⁄8 x 58 5⁄8 in. (98.7 x 148.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.98

Artwork Details

Title
Saint Rosalia and the Hunter
Artist
Date
1970-1973
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
38 7⁄8 x 58 5⁄8 in. (98.7 x 148.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Animal — dog
  • Occupation — hunter
  • Figure male — full length
  • Religion — saint — St. Rosalia
Object Number
1986.65.98
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.65.98

Artwork Description

Andrea Badami created many paintings inspired by religious themes, possibly because he found it easier to express his beliefs in pictures than through his limited English. This image shows Saint Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo, Sicily. The city suffered a plague epidemic in 1624 and according to local legend Rosalia appeared to one of the victims. She showed him the cave in Mount Pellegrino where her remains were buried, and when they carried her bones through the city, the plague was swept away (Alban Butler, Lives of the Saints, vol. 3, 1963). Badami’s painting shows a man and his dog with the saint in the entrance to her cave. The rainbow of light coming from the candle inside the cave underscores Rosalia’s mission as a divine messenger.